Pirates of the Pomodoro
by RandomWriter57
Summary: It was just an average day for Prince Antonio of Spain - that is, until he was kidnapped by pirates! Now Antonio has to deal with being a pirate while trying to decipher the elusive 'Romano'. Will he ever be able to complete the task? Pirate!Romano, Prince!Spain. AU. Rated T for swearing and future violence. Pairings listed inside.
1. Kidnapped by Pirates!

**Title: **Pirates of the Pomodoro

**Rating: **T

**Pairings: **Eventual Spamano, eventual GerIta, slight PruHun, slight RomexGermania (like, it barely comes up), slight DenNor. All pairings begin in later chapters.

**Summary: **It was just an average day for Prince Antonio of Spain - that is, until he was kidnapped by pirates! Now Antonio has to deal with being a pirate while trying to decipher the elusive 'Romano'. Will he ever be able to complete the task? Pirate!Romano, Prince!Spain. AU.

**Warnings: **Swearing, violence (in later chapters), boyxboy pairings.

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**Chapter 1: Kidnapped by Pirates?!**

It had been a normal night for Antonio.

Note the past tense.

He had once again slipped away from the castle's binding walls and into the town (under the cover of a hooded cloak, of course), and had walked around for a little while. The young Prince enjoyed getting to explore his kingdom and talk to it's people. While he wasn't supposed to be allowed outside the castle's boundaries without a guard, he had found a way to slip out through the servant's entrance (thanks to his servant friend Juan) and was now able to explore as he pleased.

He had been making his way back towards the palace through a dimly-lit alleyway when he felt the force of a small person collide with him.

"Ah, _perdonatemi,_ _signore_!" the boy apologised. "Oh, it's you! Can I talk to you for a moment, _per favore_?"

The Spanish royal nodded, confused as he was taken to the side by the boy, whose accent seemed strangely foreign yet somewhat familiar...

"Ah,_ grazie signore_! It's just, I didn't want to attract attention! Now, can you hold my jacket while I look for my gun?"

Startled, Antonio took the jacket before asking, "Why are you looking for a gun, may I ask?"

The boy chuckled. "So I can assassinate you, of course~"

Antonio's eyes widened as he dropped the jacket in shock. "_Q-que?! _Assassinate?!"

"_Si_! You see, my organisation gave us a job, and our job was to target and assassinate His Royal Highness Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, Prince of Spain and heir to the throne! Now we've targeted you, I can finally give the signal for you to be killed~" The boy looked up and gave a hand gesture to the sky, causing something to shift in the shadows. Antonio cried out.

"W-wait!"

From the air dropped a large, dark object, which landed right on Antonio's back and caused him to fall to the floor. He heard the clang of metal against concrete as something fell towards his right. The weight on his back shifted as a new voice grumbled a few cuss words before the weight disappeared.

"Ugh, hell of a rough landing," the voice complained. "Pass us the shovel, will you Vene?"

"_Si_, Roma~!" Vene chirped, presumably as he handed his companion a shovel.

The last thing Antonio felt was a heavy blow to the back of the head as he attempted to move away from the assassins.

X-x-X

"_Rabbia_ is gonna fucking murder us!"

"Ve, but at least we caught him, right _fratello_? Maybe _Rabbia_ wanted to kill him himself?"

"I fucking doubt it if he asked us to do the dirty work for him!"

Antonio heard the argument but barely registered it as his brain awoke from its slumber.

"Well...should we kill him now? While he's asleep?"

"Wouldn't do much good, would it? We'd still be in trouble for failing at the scene of the crime."

As he became more conscious of his surroundings, he began to pay more attention to the argument, but not after thinking, _I'm alive?!_

"What should we do, _fratello_?"

"...I know what to do."

_What do the assassins look like, and what are they talking about? _he wondered. It had been too dark in the alleyway, so his attacker's faces had been hidden in the shadows.

"Ve, really?"

"_Si, fratellino_. Now go talk to _Nonno_, I'll deal with this dunce."

...Did he just call him a dunce?

"Okay, see you later _fratellone_!"

He heard the door click open before it swung closed, making another click as it did. There was silence for a few minutes before the assassin in the room said, "Well, bastard? Aren't you going to sit up?"

Opening his eyes, the Spaniard sat up in the bed that he had been rested upon, taking in his surroundings; he lay on a single bed with white sheets on the left side of the room facing the door, with a window to his left. The room was pretty much bare, except for the wooden floorboards and old, rickety wardrobe which stood in the adjacent corner. In front of his bed stood a man who caught Antonio's eyes, rendering them unable to move away from him; his dark auburn hair fell in a side fringe to the right of his face before the rest of it ended at the nape of his neck. A strange curl protruded to the right side from the parting of the fringe. Below his fringe and dark eyebrows were a set of some of the most beautiful eyes Antonio had ever seen - they were a gorgeous hazel-green hue, with dashes of different shades of the colours painting the iris. The lashes around the eyes were not too thick or long, but looked just the right thickness and length to complement the eyes. They rested above a button-like nose and a pair of scowling lips. His face ended in a point before letting reign to his neck, around which was a silver cross necklace, and body, upon which was a white shirt with sleeves which were rolled up to the elbows, a pair of dark trousers, and some black boots which almost reached knee-length. His skin was a shade of olive which complemented the rest of his appearance easily. The man's scowl seemed to deepen before he opened his mouth to speak once more.

"What the hell are you staring at, bastard?!"

Noticing what he was doing, Antonio returned his eyes to the other man's. "Ah, _lo siento_. Em, if you don't mind me asking, who are you?"

The man smirked. "Who am I? Well, that's a good question. Some say I'm the most fearless pirate on the seven seas. Some say I'm the thief in the night, unnoticed, unable to be captured. Some call me the 'fleeting phantom', but I'm mostly known as 'Romano', boatswain to Captain _Nonno_ of the _Pomodoro_, and assassin extraordinaire " Romano gave a short laugh as Antonio's mouth dropped. "Good question though, 'who am I'. In fact, that's such a good question, I'll make you a deal on it."

Antonio gulped before timidly asking, "And what would that deal entail?"

"Well, _Principe _Antonio," Romano smirked again. "I won't kill you, but you have to be my personal slave and servant, and work as a powder monkey on the_ Pomodoro_."

"What?!" Antonio exclaimed. "What kind of a deal is that?!"

"At least wait until I'm finished, dammit! I was about to say, the day you figure out the true answer to your question, 'who am I?' will be the day you are released and sent back to your country."

"Oh."

"So, what'll it be then? Will you agree to the deal, or will you have to walk the plank?"

Antonio wasn't sure - he had heard of the Pirates of the _Pomodoro _before, and apparently they were deadly dangerous. Romano was rumoured to be one of the worst, underneath the captain of course. He didn't exactly want to get involved with pirate-assassins...

Knowing that he didn't want one of the outcomes to occur, he finally rested on an option.

"You have a deal, Romano."

X-x-X

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**Translations:**

_Perdonatemi _- Excuse me (Italian)  
_Per favore _- Please (Italian)  
_Grazie signore _- Thank you sir (Italian)  
_Que _- What (Spanish)  
_Si _- Yes (Italian/Spanish)  
_Rabbia _- Rage (Italian)  
_Fratello/fratellino/fratellone _- Brother/little brother/big brother (Italian)  
_Nonno _- Grandfather (Italian)  
_Lo siento _- I'm sorry (Spanish)  
_Pomodoro _- Tomato (Italian)  
_Principe _- Prince (Italian)

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**Author's Notes: **Hello and welcome to my newest fic, _Pirates of the Pomodoro_! Thank you for visiting, as that means you must have expressed an interest in this little fic of mine!

So yeah, this one has pirate Romano! Who loves pirate Romano! *raises hand*  
I know in most fics Spain is the pirate ('cuz that's kinda canon too), but here he isn't. Not yet anyways...

So yes, feedback is very much appreciated! Feel free to drop a review below~  
If you're curious or confused about anything at any point, feel free to ask and I'll answer to the best of my ability! No questions about what happens at the end or anything though, 'cause that's _spoilers_~

I'm going to update this twice a week - once on a Wednesday, and once on a Sunday (GMT, that is).

Thank you for reading! See you in the next chapter, on Sunday!_  
_

~RandomWriter57 ( = ¬ = )7 *salutes you*


	2. Eavesdropping and Stowaways

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or it's characters - all I own is the combination of words and the plot, as well as the very few OCs used in this story.**

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**Chapter 2: Eavesdropping and Stowaways**

Lovino Vargas was an intelligent, fast-moving creature when he had the motivation.

Unfortunately, if he did not, he was slow and unmotivated.

That's why after a few days of having the Prince of Spain as his manservant, he was beginning to get a little bored.

The man may have looked rather attractive, what with his chocolate-brown locks which fell messily into forest green eyes, standing out against tanned skin covered by a mere white worker's shirt and brown trousers with boots. However, Antonio really was extremely talkative, a slow worker, and very, _very _annoying - or at least, in Lovino's opinion he was.

"Oi, tomato bastard!" the pirate called using the newly formed nickname he had come up with when the man was blathering on about his favourite foods, which mainly consisted of tomatoes and Spanish cuisine.

"_Si,_ Romano?"

"Fetch me a glass of red wine, and get me the good stuff this time, dammit!"

The Spaniard nodded before making his way out of the cabin, allowing the door to swing shut before it burst back open again.

"_Ciao, mi nipote!_" a cheery voice cooed through the room as a middle aged man entered.

To tell the truth, the man barely looked 30 years old, and yet he was 55. His dark brown hair with its many curls was styled gracefully to suit his tanned face, with its clear jawlines and bright brown eyes. He smiled gracefully as he approached his grandson's desk, his white shirt unbuttoned so his toned chest was visible.

Lovino sighed. "What do you want, _nonno_?"

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about our last target." His voice had suddenly gained a serious tone.

After a short period of mental reasoning, the younger Italian decided to let the man speak. "Close the door and sit down."

X-x-X

Antonio sighed as he picked out the correct wine bottle and began to pour it into the glass. Sure, he enjoyed being out on the open waves - for the first time in his life, he felt completely free to travel the world as he had always wanted to!

However, he did worry about his family back home. What were they thinking right now? How had they reacted when they were told of his disappearance?

Another thing he wondered about was Romano. The so-called 'fleeting-phantom' didn't really seem all that amazing to the Spaniard so far - all he had done was sit on his ass and order him around. Antonio didn't mind the work, of course, but he did wonder if he'd ever be able to figure out his master's true identity, or even the meaning behind the task - was it just the name, or was it something deeper than that? Was he to...find out more personally about the pirate? Was he to...become friends with him?

It all made Antonio's head hurt, so he preferred not to think about it.

Picking up the glass of wine, he began his journey back to the pirate's cabin, and was about to open the door and enter when he heard a voice.

"Are you sure about this, _nipote_? What if your _fratellino _lets it slip by accident?"

"_Nonno, _you're the one who gave me this task. At least have a little faith in me, dammit. Plus he's a complete dipshit anyway. Can't even figure out port from starboard."

"...But are you completely sure?"

"I dunno, but he will if you keep talking. He's right outside the damn door."

Silently cursing his inability to eavesdrop, the Spaniard pushed open the door and delivered the wine before apologising for listening in. "I just didn't want to interrupt your conversation."

"Well just leave and go swab the decks or something." Romano ordered scornfully. "If I find you eavesdropping again you _will_ be walking that plank."

Antonio nodded before leaving once more, in order to fulfill his master's orders.

X-x-X

"By the way, how did your father react when he heard?"

After the Spaniard had left, the two pirates had continued on with their conversation.

"The usual." Lovino shrugged. "They don't call him _Rabbia_ for nothing."

Romulus gave a short chuckle. "Well, I can see where you get it from, I suppose."

"What does that have to do with anything?!" the younger pirate said indignantly.

"Nothing, nothing! Don't mind me!"

The captain began to laugh to himself, leaving Lovino agitated in his chair, arms and legs crossed until his grandfather controlled himself.

It took a while, needless to say.

However, just as Lovino went to open his mouth when his _nonno_ had calmed down, a yell came from the deck above.

"Stowaway! Stowaway! I've found a stowaway!"

Almost immediately the two Vargases rushed up to see what the problem was. On the deck, most of the crew had formed a circle around something which was invisible to their eyes from where they stood. Just as the First Mate, _Rabbia_, entered the deck, the captain and his grandson found a way to push through the crowd to see what the fuss was all about.

In the middle of the deck, curled in on himself was a small man with brown hair, a creamy tan and shaking shoulders. He looked completely terrified.

"Stowaway!" Romulus boomed at the man, immediately knowing what the man had done. "What are you doing on my ship?"

The man hesitantly looked up at the captain with his turquoise-green eyes. "I-I'm sorry! P-please don't kill me!"

"I asked what you are doing here! Answer my question!"

"I-I saw you kidnap His Highness!" the man finally stuttered, causing a certain Spaniard to gasp. "S-so I followed him here a-and was going t-to hide until night, w-when I could s-steal him back, b-but the ship had already started s-sailing, and I w-was stuck."

"So it's because of the new powder monkey, eh?" Romulus said. "Bring him here!"

One of the crew members dragged Antonio to the front, causing the mouse-man to gasp at his plain workers' attire.

"Do you know this man, powder monkey?"

Antonio looked at the man and nodded, his eyes full of honesty. "He is one of the castle's servants, sir."

"I see." Romulus stated. "Well crew, looks like we have another new powder monkey to play with." He grinned mischievously. "See to it that he gets some working clothes and a bed somewhere by tonight, and throw his old clothes to the fish. They're not worth a single cautorillo*."

The crew slowly began to disperse, until only Antonio, the servant, and Lovino were left on the deck. Lovino looked to the former. "Clothes are in the storage room below. Find him a place for a hammock in the workers' cabin. I expect to see him working by sunset at least." And with that, the Italian strode back into his cabin to continue his previous actions.

X-x-X

Antonio was extremely relieved when his friend was spared and Romano left. "Juan, what are you doing here?!"

The mousy man, Juan, replied, "I'm sorry, Toni, I followed you out of the castle. When I saw you get kidnapped, I had to try and help you!"

Antonio gave him a small smile. "Thank you for caring, but you should really think about these things first. What will your family think?"

"What about _yours_?" Juan retorted. "I'm not the priority here. Your family rules the entire kingdom! What will _they _think, hearing their only son and heir to the throne has been kidnapped?!"

"I can't help it, _you_ could have! You could have gotten the guards instead of doing something so reckless!"

"But-"

"I have no choice but to stay and work here." Antonio concluded. "I don't exactly feel like walking that plank any time soon."

Juan nodded resignedly before the two men made their way downstairs to sort out the newcomer's hammock.

X-x-X

* * *

**Translations**:

_Si - _Yes (Spanish/Italian)_  
__Ciao, mi nipote - _Hello, my grandson (Italian)_  
__Nonno - _Grandfather (Italian)_  
__Fratellino - _Little brother (Italian)_  
__Rabbia - _Rage (Italian)

* * *

**Note:**

Cautorillo - Pirate currency, the lowest coin value, according to a website I found using Google.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Wow, already 8 follows, 7 faves, and 2 reviews?! Thank you all very much guys! I never expected to get this much of a reception after only one chapter! I hope you all continue to enjoy the story :3

So yeah, not really much to say here this time~

Feedback is very much appreciated! Feel free to drop a review below~  
If you're curious or confused about anything at any point, feel free to ask and I'll answer to the best of my ability! No questions about what happens at the end or anything though, 'cause that's _spoilers_~

By the way, I may not be able to update on Wednesday since I'll be in London! Therefore it's not likely that I'll have access to the internet "OTL. If I do have internet access at any time I will try to update this! Even so, if I don't update on Wednesday expect one on Friday as well as the usual Sunday update :3

**Thank you to: **Alice Vargas, Croatoan Sun, Epic F. Awesomesauce, Kittyruvsyou, Roxburry Black, Spamano4ever, charcoal246, and justthatweirdgirl for following!

**Thank you to:** Alice Vargas, Epic F. Awesomesauce, Spamano4ever, TheDeadOne28, charcoal246, justthatweirdgirl, and littlehanyan for favouriting!

**Responses to reviews:**

**Spamano4ever: **Heh, don't we all! xD

**Epic F. Awesomesauce: **Yes I did xD Funny thing is, I'm reading that story too~ (it's awesome btw)

Thank you all again, and see you next time!

~Random ( = ¬ = )7


	3. Reunion at Sea

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia~**

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**Chapter 3: Reunion at Sea**

Another few days had passed since Juan had been found, and the ship was well and truly in the middle of nowhere. Dark blue waves danced around the hull of the ship, various sea creatures such as fish swimming by every once in a while. The sky above was a picturesque shade of teal with almost transparent streaks of white painting the canvas. The late afternoon sun beat heavily down upon the hard-working crew, who were all going around doing their day-to-day chores.

Antonio had long since found his sea-legs - he could even stretch to say that he found the rhythmic bobbing of the ship quite relaxing. Therefore, he had no trouble as he stood with Romano by the boat's railings, gazing down into the deep blue. The higher-ranking pirate had a thoughtful look on his face, his eyes glazed over as if lost in thought. The quiet between the two was not uncomfortable, but peaceful, embracing the pair as they were left to their thoughts.

"Romano, sir!" a crew member yelled from behind the two. As they turned, Antonio could identify the sailor as Arthur "Storm" Kirkland, a man hailing from the Kingdom of Britain who had been forced on the ship by his brothers for 'a bit of fun'. Toni wasn't quite so fond of the Brit, preferring to ignore him than to listen to him drone on about rules and regulations. "_Amour _says there isn't enough wine in the cellar and requests we stop at the nearest port (preferably in France) to obtain more." The Brit pronounced the name _Amour _with a look of distaste on his face.

"Ugh," Romano groaned, placing his face in his right palm. "More wine? Just tell the bastard that we haven't got enough time to please his every whim and need. God, I've had enough of that bastard Francis' whinings on wine." Arthur nodded and retreated to the lower decks.

Antonio turned and asked his master, "Did you say 'Francis'?"

"Congratulations, you have ears," Romano answered sarcastically. "Of course I said Francis, _idiota_. He's the cook."

"Is his last name by any chance 'Bonnefoy'?"

Romano gave him a blank stare. "Yes. Weren't you supposed to know your crew members' names by now?"

Antonio, however, dismissed this question as his eyes lit up with glee. "Oh, I have to go see him!"

His sleeve was caught before he could run off. "Hold up a second. Why do you need to see him?"

"He and I were the best of friends as children! Since his father's the Duke of France, he and my father were very close. Francis, as well as a boy from Germany named Gil, were my best friends due to the friendship between our fathers!"

The younger man nodded, letting go of the prince's sleeve. "Fine, but I expect you back in ten minutes, _capito_?"

"_Si!"_

X-x-X

The water bubbled as it boiled in the pan, sizzling as extra vegetables were added to the mixture. Sniffing the air around the pan, the chef deduced that the soup would soon be ready. He smiled and was beginning to peel a potato when the door opened and he heard footsteps approach him. Expecting it to be Arthur, he said, "So, what did the _petit Italien _say?"

"He said something about not being able to cater to your every whim," a completely unexpected voice replied.

Turning, Francis' azure eyes were met with a sight he thought he'd never see; the man was around the same height as him, his curly brown locks bouncing around at ear-length. His eye colour was like that of a forest - bright and intriguing, with mixtures of various greens weaving in and out of each other to create the perfect hue. He wore a white shirt with brown trousers and boots, and across his face was a large grin, plastered below his nose.

"_Antoine_,_ mon ami_, is that you?"

"_Hola_, Paco*!" the Spaniard replied, using the familiar nickname.

The blonde man stepped forward and embraced his friend, who hugged him back tightly. "Toni, it has been so long!"

"_Si, _it has!" They pulled out of the hug and grinned at each other, happy to be reunited after so long. "So, _Amour,_ huh?"

Francis gave a chuckle. "It's my codename. Everyone has one, _mon ami_. Although, you wouldn't have one yet, you've probably not had the initiation."

"That sounds painful."

"Toni, you have not seen painful until you see Carlos playing Twister on Games' Night. Honestly, I have no idea how he even got his foot behind his head, but let me tell you, _that_ game didn't end well for the other players."

X-x-X

As the cook and the prince reunited, Lovino returned to his gazing of the water, enjoying the peace that fell over him as he watched the fish leap through the waves. About half an hour after Antonio's departure, the Italian's younger brother Feliciano came to join him.

"_Bella_, isn't it," Feli came out with after a moment or two. "I love watching the sea like this. It's so...calming."

Lovino nodded lazily in agreement. "'Specially on a day like this."

"Yeah..."

The two _fratelli _fell into a comfortable silence, just as the elder boy had with Antonio earlier.

"Say, _fratello_?" Feliciano finally said, an unusually serious expression on his face. "What do you think of Toni?"

Lovino turned his head to face his brother's. "What d'ya mean?"

"Well, he must be special if you spend this much time with him. I mean, I barely see you without him nowadays."

It was true; ever since Antonio had joined the crew, Lovino was barely ever seen without the clueless Spaniard. Many questions flew through Lovino's head. _Why _do_ I let that bastard hang around me all the time? Is it because he's my "servant"? Or is it something else? And why does Feli want to know?_

Rather than answering the question however, the elder Italian merely smirked and lunged forward to tickle his brother, chasing away the strange look and replacing it with the younger's signature smile. "Why? Is somebody jealous?"

Feli laughed and swatted away his brother's hands. "Hehe, _fratello_, you always make me laugh~"

Lovino snorted before they looked back out to the sea, upon which the sun was beginning to set. The sky had now turned into streaks of pinks, blues and purples; in the centre of the more orangey-red of these colours was the evening sun, glowing softly as it sunk below the dark water's horizon. The crew behind the pair were beginning to finish up so they could get dinner, which Antonio had helped the French chef prepare. Before they joined their crewmates, Lovino gave a small, almost invisible smile and said, "I suppose he's not _too _much of a bastard."

X-x-X

* * *

**Translations:**

_Amour_ - Love (French)_  
Idiota _- Idiot (Italian)  
_Capito? - _Understand? (Italian)  
_Si - _Yes (Spanish/Italian)  
_Petit Italien - _Little Italian (French)  
_Antoine -_ Antonio (French equivalent of)  
_Mon ami - _my friend (French)  
_Hola _- hello (Spanish)  
_Bella _- Beautiful (Italian)  
_Fratello/fratelli _- Brother/s (Italian)

* * *

**Note:**

Paco - The Spanish nickname for Francis, according to both my Spanish teacher and various trusted internet sources. _But seriously how the heck do you get Paco from Francis?_

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Hey guys! I'm actually writing this AN ahead of time, but thank you in advance to everyone who may/may not have followed/faved this story since the last chapter was uploaded! :3

Feedback is, as usual, very much appreciated! Any comments or questions you have can be asked/commented to me via the little review box below :3

**Thanks to:** FonicCrystal for following!

**Responses to Reviews:**

**Spamano4ever:** Yup! Lovi is veery sly and sneaky x3

**charcoal246:** Thank youu~! I'm glad you're enjoying it :3 Hmm...good question... I suppose it's probably from reading too many pirate fics xD All I remember is thinking about Lovi and Feli being assassins and having to attack Toni, and then the idea just formulated in my head! Thanks again for the review :3

**Epic F. Awesomesauce:** Yup! Hehe xD I'm not sure why you're surprised, your awesomeness is in your name x3

Thank you all again for everything so far, and I do hope you're enjoying the story so far :3

I'll see you again in the next update! (Which I think is Sunday...right?)

~Random ( = ¬ = )7

PS: If the format is messed up, I'm sorry! Uploading this on my phone, I'll fix it if it's broken later~


	4. Current and New Information

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything~**

**Note: Sorry guys, this is kind of a filler chapter to begin with "OTL When I was writing it, I think I just felt the need to explain a few things and this came out. Well, enjoy~**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Current and New Knowledge**

Over the time that Antonio had spent on the _Pomodoro _(which was now around 3 months and 17 days, according to his count), the young prince had found out many a detail about this infamous pirate ship. For starters, they rarely plundered villages, preferring to merely buy supplies from them using the gold they gained from plundering other pirate ships, which they did often. Also, most of the crew were able to easily assassinate someone, and there were times when people would be kidnapped and taken hostage on their ship, just as Antonio had been - at least a third of the crew had joined this way, and while some of the previous prisoners had left due to the fulfillment of a deal, quite a few had also died in various attacks or just from misconduct. The ship also had a detailed set of rules to follow, and ruthless repercussions if one of these rules was broken.

The crew was rather large, currently consisting of 25 men. The captain, Romulus _"Nonno_" Vargas, was a kindly, friendly man when you were on his good side. However, otherwise, you were in for the fire and flames of Hell risen up to a thousand degrees. Fahrenheit.

The First Mate was Julio "_Rabbia_" Vargas, son of _Nonno_. He was the one with most power when the ship wasn't in battle, so he had a lot of respect from the crew. He was nice enough normally, but he really wasn't called _Rabbia _for nothing.

Then there was Romano, whose true name was still unclear to the Spaniard. Romano was the Boatswain on the _Pomodoro_, which apparently meant he had to inspect the ship each morning and report it's status to the captain. He also had to order around the other crew members and make sure they knew what to do. There was a lot about the Italian that was still unclear to Antonio, but he was determined to find out more.

Feliciano "Veneziano" Vargas was the Sailmaker; the job is in the name - he made all of the sails and other materials for the ship, including the highly artistic flag which flew proudly through the ocean breeze. Feli was a cheerful, bouncy young man, a couple of years younger than his _fratellone_. He didn't really seem to have a bad side, but if he did, Antonio wasn't eager to see it.

Francis _"Amour_" Bonnefoy was, of course, the chef on the ship. His foods were fine and delicious, so it was no wonder why the crew chose the Frenchman. His long blonde hair was usually pulled into a low ponytail, except for some loose strands for a fringe, so it was mostly out of his way as he cooked. Antonio was overjoyed to see his old friend again after so long, and it only gave him more hope of seeing his other friend, Gil, once more.

The Navigator was a smart, quiet man from Egypt by the name of Gupta "Time" Muhammad-Hassan. Antonio didn't really know much about the man, since he was always so quiet and reserved. As the Navigator, he determined the ship's path through the seas and also took control of the wheel as they sailed.

Sadiq "Strength" Adnan was the Gunman. This basically meant that he taught the sailors how to use the weapons such as swords and cannons, since the pistols only went to the higher ranks of pirate. The Turkish man really grated on the Spaniard's nerves, as he was always so possessive and strange, and always wore that odd white mask...

Then there was the lookout, Fausto _"Laranja"_ Esteves. Hailing from Portugal, a country near Spain, the man had the job of staying in the Crow's Nest and calling down if he saw anything. Funnily enough, Fausto turned out to be a cousin of Juan.

Carlos "Redwood" Cruz was the Master Gunner. He looked after all of the guns and weaponry, and made sure that each and every one was constantly in working order. The Cuban was easily the target of many jibes from the crew, but he merely ignored these, or sent a retort which would easily silence the tormentor. He also had a strange addiction to ice cream (particularly coconut flavoured).

Lars "Cobweb" Maes was the Master Carpenter, with his mate being Herakles "Fortune" Karpusi. The jobs of the two were simple enough - to repair _everything _on the ship; every leak and tear, every hole and crack. The quality of the boat depended on the Dutchman and his Grecian apprentice.

James _"Ddraig"_ Kirkland was a brother of Arthur, though he was born in a different part of the Kingdom (just had all of the brothers been). The Welshman was the ship's Doctor, more commonly known as the Surgeon. He patched people up when they were injured, which was relatively often, despite how safe the boat would seem. Apparently the job was particularly horrible when a battle was being waged, and a lot of this time an assistant would be needed to help out (Antonio always made a point of being busy when the Surgeon needed help).

Oddly enough, the ship had a musician - the eldest of the Kirklands, Iain - AKA Braveheart. He would often get out his bagpipes and play some jolly tunes to warm up the crew on the chilly evenings after dinner, though he wasn't one to miss a good brawl for a set of pipes. He wasn't quite so annoying as his youngest brother, Antonio had decided.

In addition to this large cast of pirates, there was the Cabin Boy, Marcello "_Calmare" _Vargas (he was a big flirt whenever they pulled into port), four Sailors (Arthur, Emil "Silver" Steillson-Bondevik, Matthew "Fadeaway" Williams and Eduardo "Enchilada" Hernandez Sanchez respectively), four Gunners (Alfred "Freedom" Jones, Andres _"Principale_" Garcia, and Conor "Shamrock" and Patrick "Leprechaun" O'Connolly), and the Powder Monkeys (Antonio, Juan and a boy named Peter). Everyone above Powder Monkey level had a codename, and the Powder Monkeys were, of course, treated the worst of the lot.

Not that Antonio really cared, in all honesty. He just decided that he should carry on trying to find out more about Romano in order to return to his kingdom, where his family awaited him.

X-x-X

Antonio was in Romano's cabin, clearing the desk and sorting out the files, which were beginning to annoy the lazy Italian - which is why Antonio was the one left with the job, of course. The Spaniard flipped through the files, skimming over the neat handwriting which covered each document. At one point, he found an interesting letter that was addressed to the palace in Spain. It was obviously a copy of what had already been sent, since it was dated back to almost three whole months ago. Toni decided to take a closer look.

_Boatswain's Cabin  
The _Pomodoro_  
Somewhere in the Mediterranean  
15/04/XX_

_Dear Your Highnesses King Fernando and Queen Isabella,_

_I am the Boatswain on the pirating ship, the _Pomodoro_. I felt the need to write this short letter to you to inform you of the whereabouts of your son, Prince Antonio Fernandez Carriedo. He is currently on the _Pomodoro_, but he is safe and sound, so you need not worry. We shall return him within the next three years, maximum. I wish you the best in your reign._

_Yours Sincerely..._

Antonio reread the letter a few times before he finally understood what it meant; Romano had taken the liberty of informing his parents where he was, and that he was safe! Now he could at least put his mind to rest about the worries and woes of his distant family.

As he took another look, he noticed something; the letter was not signed Romano, but as another name. Something that seemed somewhat familiar, but in a way that Antonio could not specify.

"Lovino Vargas..."

"That's my name - don't wear it out."

X-x-X

* * *

**Translations:**

_Pomodoro _- Tomato (Italian)_Nonno_ - Grandfather (Italian)_  
Rabbia _- Rage (Italian)_  
Fratellone _- Big brother (Italian)_  
Amour -_ Love (French)_  
Laranja_ - Orange (Portuguese)_  
Ddraig _- Dragon (Welsh)_  
Calmare -_ Calm (Italian)_  
Principale -_ Principal (Spanish)

(I am sorry if any of these translations are wrong - feel free to tell me if they are! While I'm just about certain on the Spanish/Italian/French, the others may not be right "OTL I must be compelled to believe the Portuguese is correct though, since Portuguese and Spanish are very similar and the Spanish for orange is _Naranja, _so...)

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Yeah, so sorry for the very filler-ish chapter, but I'm sure the last bit is very important to the plot's flow! (I think...it's been a while since I've read over the next few chapters...)

So! Just who is Lovino Vargas? (no prizes for guessing) How will Toni react to this new information? What will happen to our favourite pirates? Only time will tell... xD

Thank you all again for all the feedback! You guys are very awesome~

**Thank you to: **turtgirl99 and Shades of Awesome for following!

**Responses to Reviews:**

**Epic F. Awesomesauce: **Hehe, yup, I'm British~ Scottish to be precise :3 Aw, thank you =w= You're very kind~

**Book Thief101: **Oh, cool! The fact may be useless, but it is interesting~ Chuy...it's sounds funny xD Yes, that's true, I suppose. I'm not sure whether to take 'update when you can' as 'update every day if you can' or 'take your time in updating, it's okay'. Truth is, I've already got the entire story written, I just didn't want to make the updates too frequent to manage or too far apart to keep the readers interested~ To be honest, waiting for update day has felt like waiting a week, even though they're only a few days apart "OTL It'll prolly feel like a shorter time starting Monday though, since my weeks will suddenly be busy again -_-" Thanks for the review, and sorry for rambling!

So yes, feedback is very much appreciated! Feel free to drop a review below~  
If you're curious or confused about anything at any point, feel free to ask and I'll answer to the best of my ability! No questions about what happens at the end or anything though, 'cause that's _spoilers_~

The story will get more interesting soon, I promise! Just be patient dears, I like my stories to take a while to unfold~

See you on Wednesday, if not before! :D

~Random ( = ¬ = )7

PS: Fanfiction's being an idiot with the character things, and if you search up the characters Spain and S. Italy/Romano, this story doesn't come up ;_; So I'm takiing N. Italy/Veneziano out of the characters thing so it comes up in the search~


	5. Getting to Know You

**Disclaimer: I honestly own nothing, 'kay?**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Getting to Know You**

"Lovino Vargas..."

"That's my name - don't wear it out."

Antonio turned to see his master standing behind him, one hand leaning on the door frame and the other on his hip. A single eyebrow raised, the Italian was giving the Spaniard a look that said, _'so what?'_

"Romano...your name is...Lovino..."

Lovino sighed as his face and palm met each other in greeting. "And the dumbass only gets it now..." he muttered.

"Your name's Lovino!" Antonio stood up and pointed at the younger man. "I found out who you are! The deal is done!"

Looking up from his facepalm, the Boatswain smirked. "Oh really now? You think you know who I am? Go on then, tell me who I am."

"I just said - you're Lovino Vargas."

"And? Tell me more."

"But- that's your name!"

Lovino's smirk disappeared and a more serious look graced his features. "So you think I am to be labeled and defined by a mere name? Like a tin of dog food?"

Antonio's eyes widened and he tried to stutter a denial, but was hushed by his companion.

"You think my only defining feature is my name; that I have no personality, or quirks, or even a _fucking favourite colour!_" By the end of the sentence, Lovino's voice had raised to an angry roar, his fury rising above him.

"N-no, I-"

"_Obviously, _somebody didn't quite understand what I meant. But really, when someone asks who you are, you generally give a short introduction, _si?_ Of course there's the name, but you also usually say a few things about yourself - age, birthplace, favourites, all that junk." The Italian stepped forward so the two men were nose-to-nose. "When I asked you to tell me who I am, I was at least expecting more than just a fucking label," he snarled before tearing away and throwing himself in the brown wooden chair which stood before his desk. "You are dismissed."

Antonio nodded solemnly, murmuring an apology before exiting the room.

Lovino sighed, leaning back in his chair as he let what had just happened wash over him. _God, how can he be such an idiot..._

X-x-X

After the fiasco in the Boatswain's cabin, Antonio had resolved to make more of an effort to find out more about the fiery Italian man. Of course, he was smart enough to leave Lovino alone for a few days so he could calm down before he began Plan Get-To-Know-Lovi-So-I-Can-Go-Home, or Plan GTJLSICGH for not-so short.

He waltzed up to the Italian, who was once again looking out over the ocean (one of his favourite pastimes). "Hola, Lovi~"

Lovino's head turned to register the Spaniard's existence. "What the fuck is a Lovi?"

"It's my nickname for you~" Antonio replied, grinning. _Still has the potty mouth, it seems... _"Now you can give me a nickname, like Toni or something!"

"I already call you Tomato Bastard - isn't that a good enough nickname for you?"

_Gives nicknames including the word 'bastard'...interesting... _"Well, I thought nicknames were supposed to be shorter than the actual name, that's all."

"'s shorter than your full name. Who the fuck even needs three fucking surnames?!"

"Two, Lovi. One from _tu padre _and one from _tu madre_."

Lovino huffed and picked up a stone which had washed up on the deck. He gave a quick inspection of the stone before throwing the stone out to sea, though it only landed a few metres away from the ship.

_Not the best throwing arm in the world...and definitely right-handed... _Antonio shrugged to himself and pulled a tomato out from his trouser pocket. After using his sleeve to polish the shiny red skin, he was about to take a bite before he noticed Lovino giving the tomato a hungry look. "You want some?"

Lovino looked up, a slight pink hue rising to his cheeks. "...Yes, bastard."

Antonio chuckled as he passed the hungry Italian the tomato, which was completely devoured in seconds, the only remains being the tomato juice on Lovino's hands. _Obviously loves tomatoes then..._qué lindo_..._

Antonio didn't notice that he'd said the last words aloud. "What you saying 'bout me, bastard?" Lovino said.

"What? Oh, nothing, Lovi~"

"Hmph, nothing my ass."

Antonio laughed, and he swore he could see the ghost of a smile on Lovino's face too.

X-x-X

When Lovino saw that perfect smile, which revealed two rows of perfect teeth, a cluster of emotions rushed through him like the waves crashing and colliding below them. His heart began to beat a bit faster, and his stomach felt as though somebody had poured a nest of bees inside. He was unsure if this feeling made him happy or queasy. He put a hand to his pounding head and grimaced.

"Hey, are you okay?" Toni asked, a concerned gaze in his eyes.

Lovino nodded before grimacing once more at the pain which came with the small action. "I'm fine. I think I'll go rest in my cabin for a while. My head is killing like a bitch."

Toni looked over and nodded, feelings of worry surging through his system. "Just call me if you need anything."

Nodding, the Italian turned away and retreated to his quarters. He flopped down on the bed, one hand on his head and the other on his chest. He grimaced as he felt his head pound in unison with his heart as the stomachache worsened. _Why is there so much pain?_

X-x-X

After Lovino had left, Antonio had taken the liberty of informing Feliciano (the most agreeable of the Vargases) where he had gone. "He said his head was killing him."

Feli frowned in worry. "Ve... I wonder if he's okay..."

"I'm sure he will be, don't worry," Antonio tried to reassure the younger man, though it didn't help in reassuring the Spaniard himself.

Feli nodded. "_Si_... Maybe I'll talk to him about it later, but for now I have a job to do." Smiling faintly at Antonio, Feli took his leave.

_He'll be okay...right?_

X-x-X

* * *

**Translations:**

_Si _- Yes (Spanish/Italian)_  
Tu padre/madre _- Your father/mother (Spanish)  
_Qué lindo - _How cute (Spanish)

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Hey guys! Sorry this chappie's kinda short, I suppose this is just how it turned out! So yeah, I hope you enjoyed it anyways :3

So now Toni has found out Lovino's name, but he does not know his story. Hehe...

So... What's up with Lovi? Will Toni be able to find out everything he needs to know about the stubborn pirate? And will Lovi finally accept that he is very cute? Find out soon! :D

So yes, feedback is very much appreciated! Feel free to drop a review below~  
If you're curious or confused about anything at any point, feel free to ask and I'll answer to the best of my ability! No questions about what happens at the end or anything though, 'cause that's _spoilers_~

**Thank you to: **Book Thief101, amichalap, and WhyMustIDoThis for following!

**Thank you to: **Daffodil Moon, Book Thief101, and amichalap for favouriting!

**Responses to Reviews:**

**Mighty Agamemnon: **(Ch 3) Thank you! Yeah, I suppose you do mostly see pirate!Spain fics and I personally love 'em too, but I just wanted to write one that was the other way around :3 Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it :D Well, I actually knew that (which is why I used it), but thanks for explaining :3  
(Ch 4) Yes, I do agree that it did take up most of the chapter and it really wasn't the best thing to do, but I suppose I didn't really know how to incorporate all that information differently at the time when I wrote the chapter. Well, I'm glad at least the end was good! :D Thanks for the reviews :3

**Daffodil Moon: **(Ch 3) Ah, I see! Thank you for sharing that :3

**Book Thief101: **Ah, I see :3 Well, I think i'll stick to the current update schedule, since I'm already kinda used to it :) Hehe xD Of course Lovi is special, he's awesome! :D Thanks again :3

**Epic F. Awesomesauce: **Is it really THAT cool to be Scottish? xD An accent? Well, I dunno, I suppose everybody has the accent from their area, so I have a Scottish accent I suppose~ Not a really thick one like in the Shetland Isles though :S Hmm... Interesting theory! We shall see if it is right in the future chapters...since I ain't telling you if you're right or not just because~ xD Thanks again~

Thank you all again and I shall see you on Sunday! :D

~Random ( = ¬ = )7

[I use tildes too much, don't I? xD]


	6. Feelings and Calm Before the Storm

**Disclaimer: I still don't own~**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Feelings and the Calm Before the Storm**

Over the next few months, Lovino's 'illness' didn't seem to go away. He eventually concluded that it must have something to do with the damn tomato bastard, seeing as the symptoms were always at their worst when he either thought of him or was around him.

Plus, his brain was beginning to make strange scenarios and daydreams of the Spaniard, ones that Lovino struggled to push from his brain easily. The scenarios could be quite disturbing to the small Italian, who knew for a fact that it just wasn't right to have daydreams of your crew member's ass...

Though he had to admit it - Antonio had a nice ass._  
_

These symptoms caused an overall change in Lovino's mood - where he had previously been moderately agreeable, he was now completely irritated most of the time and it took a hell of a lot more to persuade him to do anything, really. Lovino was sick and tired of the constant headaches and stomach-illness and strangely harsh palpitations of his heart. He just wanted to either know what the cause of it was or how to get rid of it. It annoyed him greatly, to say the least.

In other news, while Lovino was being mopey, Antonio had climbed the ranks of piracy. After facing an intimidating initiation ceremony (which involved dueling Arthur and climbing the mast to retrieve a flag from the Crow's Nest), he was promoted to a Sailor. He was also finally granted the codename _Toro_, an achievement which he was very proud of.

However, he was still Lovino's slave, and while he was getting marginally less work from the Italian (partially due to Lovino's illness, partially because he had so much else to do), he still spent the majority of his free-time with the Italian (which, as previously stated, did not help with his illness whatsoever).

"Are you sure you're okay?" Antonio asked for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. "You really do look dreadful."

Lovino grimaced. "Thanks. Nice to hear I'm looking good when I feel like crap." Antonio made a mental note of the pirate's sarcastic tendencies.

"Are you sure you're okay though? Do you need anything?"

"Some peace and quiet would be fucking lovely."

Antonio nodded before standing and brushing any imaginary dust from his trousers. "Well, just give me a call if you need me, _si_?"

Lovino waved his hand lazily as the Spaniard left the room, before curling in on himself and groaning in pain. _God, why won't it just stop... _He raised a hand to his heart, which was fluttering like a hyperactive butterfly. _My chest..._

X-x-X

Eventually, the pain surrounding Lovino became numb and familiar. He was used to the sudden palpitations of his heart whenever he thought of Antonio, or whenever he caught a glimpse of that glorious grin. He still had no idea what these meant, but he did notice a few minor changes in his attitude towards the Spaniard.

He became much happier (internally, of course) whenever he saw Antonio happy, though he never dared show it externally, yet it still pained him ever so slightly inside. Plus, whether it be from his naturally loud voice or just some strange new ability to hear extremely well, his voice was usually more distinctive than any other in a crowd. Lastly, in the rare times when the Spaniard was feeling down, Lovino felt inclined to make him feel better, though he wasn't exactly the best at doing so.

These changes puzzled him - if he'd had no problem being horribly rude and uncaring of Antonio before, why had it all changed now? Lovino knew he'd rather not think about it, and yet these thoughts continued to plague his mind each day.

One day when they were in a port on the African continent, he was approached by his youngest brother Marcello.

"Hey, Lovino?" the youngest Vargas asked. "Why don't I ever see you or Feliciano really flirting with any of the girls at the ports anymore? It's just, you always used to, but now you've both stopped. Why?"

Lovino had to stop and think about this question for a while before he answered. "I...dunno. Feli...maybe he found a really nice girl somewhere and he doesn't want to feel like he's cheating on her? Me however, I have no clue. I just stopped. Why, does it bother you?"

"No, I was just wondering."

The two stood in silence for a few moments before the younger of the pair asked another question. "Have you ever been in love?"

"...Not that I'm aware of."

"Oh."

"...Why?"

"Oh, just wondering. Y'know, I've heard things about love and I just wanted to know what it was like."

With a sigh, the elder attempted to explain love."Love...is a difficult emotion. I don't exactly know what it's like to experience it, but from what I've heard...it's painful."

"Painful?"

"Yes, but a...good pain, I suppose. You know, when your chest grows tight and you feel weightless, since they're around and you're all in love and shit."

"Ah, I see."

"Why'd you want to know anyway?"

"Oh, no reason." Marcello then wandered back off into the crowds of the town, leaving Lovino to his thoughts.

X-x-X

One day, somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, Lovino found himself standing with Antonio, looking out at the water once more. The waters had been calm for months now...almost too calm...

"Hey, can I ask a question?"

Lovino glanced over at the Spaniard. "You just did, but fine - what is it?"

"Why did you guys even kidnap me in the first place?" Antonio asked curiously. "I never really found out."

"Oh." Lovino sighed. "It was _mio padre_'s plan. He wanted us to assassinate you-"

"What?!" Antonio exclaimed, dumbfounded. "¡¿_Por qué_?!"

"I was about to tell you that, _idiota!_ Anyways, he wanted us to kill you because of some shit he had gotten into with the mafia and something to do with 'an old friend'. _Nonno_ didn't want us to kill you, especially since you had done nothing to us, so he told us to capture you instead, since he's the one who's supposed to decide whether or not someone lives once they come on the ship."

"Oh...Wow, I'm really greatful for the whole not killing me thing now, _gracias_."

Lovino gave a wave of his hand and turned his attention back to the sea. This left Antonio to his thoughts. _I wonder what he meant by 'an old friend'? And the mafia? _Dios mio_, this is getting even more mysterious by the second._

The Spaniard shook his head of these thoughts and turned to his companion. "What are you thinking about?"

"What business is that of you?" Lovino answered with another question.

"Just curious is all. You looked troubled."

"The waters. They look too calm."

Antonio nodded. "Well, they have been very calm for a while now...but is that necessarily a bad thing?"

Lovino was uneasy. "Good weather is nice, but when the water is calm like this, there's more than certainly trouble at foot."

Almost exactly at the right time, people began to yell and run around the ship in a panic of sorts. One of the crew members approached the pair and informed them, "Sir, it's the _Schwarzwasser_. They're here, and it looks like they're going to attack!"

Lovino nodded once, a serious look on his face. "Thus marks the end of the calm before the storm."

X-x-X

* * *

**Translations:**

_Toro -_ Bull (Spanish)_  
Si - _Yes (Spanish/Italian)_  
Mio padre -_ My father (Italian)_  
¡¿__Por qué_?! - Why?! (Spanish)_  
Idiota _- Idiot (Italian)_  
Nonno -_ Grandfather (Italian)_  
Gracias -_ Thank you (Spanish)_  
Dios mio -_ My god (Spanish)_  
Schwarzwasser -_ Blackwater (German)

(I'm not sure if the "My father" one is correct, and the last one is actually not a real German word - however it is a combination of two very real German words; _Schwarz _which means black, and _wasser_ which is water. Therefore, it is Blackwater.)

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Hey guys! If this story was organised into story-arcs, I'd say this marks the end of the "Welcome to the Pomodoro!" arc. We're about a third through the story here! :'D

Not much else to say here really...

**Thank you to: **SnakeGirl1, akiradreham, lilalovex, and Heixarn Mizu for following!

**Thank you to: **SnakeGirl1 and lilalovex for favouriting!

**Responses to Reviews:**

**Epic F. Awesomesauce: **I honestly burst out laughing at that xD It's fine, I suppose accents are awesome :D Yes, your theories are interesting! I find it interesting to see what people think is going to happen in the story, and I do try to respond to these without giving much away if they're on my stories. Russia is haunting your basement?! Well, I suppose if you want him to cuddle with you then you could ask him, but make sure you don't get possessed by him if it's a demon Russia! xD And yup, tildes are these squiggly lines~

**Granmum: **(Ch. 1) Ah, I saw this review and then realised I hadn't explained it, so I decided to add a bit of explanation in here~ Don't worry, it will be elaborated on in later chapters :3 Thanks for the review!

**Spamano4ever: **(Ch. 3) Yup! xD (Ch. 4) This made me get that song from Phineas and Ferb in my head xD And I suppose he did, in a way~

**Book Thief101: **Wow, that's a lot of names xD Don't worry, all will be revealed as the story unfolds! :D Thanks again for the review~

Thank you all once again for all of the awesome feedback! Wow, you guys are awesome :D I'm glad you all seem to be enjoying the story so far :3

So yes, feedback is very much appreciated! Feel free to drop a review below~  
If you're curious or confused about anything at any point, feel free to ask and I'll answer to the best of my ability! No questions about what happens at the end or anything though, 'cause that's _spoilers_~

Also, I love hearing your opinions and theories on what you think will happen! If you have any, feel free to share :3

So, will Lovi ever figure out what the feeling is? What exactly is the Schwarzwasser and why is it attacking? And why was Marcello asking for love advice? Stay tuned to find out soon!

Thanks again, and see you on Wednesday! :D

~Random ( = ¬ = )7


	7. The Battle Begins

**Disclaimer: I own Hetalia?! Nah, it's not mine~**

* * *

**Chatper 7: The Battle Begins**

The entire crew of the _Pomodoro_ was busy. Captain Romulus was striding along the decks in a businesslike manner, yelling orders at the seamen and preparing for battle. Julio was aiding the Captain in this, making sure each man had a job to do and was doing it quickly and efficiently. Lovino was in charge of making sure the people who were unsuited to fight were safe and able to defend themselves if found by a member of the _Schwarzwasser_.

"Lovino, what's going on?" Antonio asked, confused with the situation.

"The damn pirates from the _Schwarzwasser_ are attacking." Lovino explained. "I've gotta get you, Feli, 'Cello, Peter and that Juan guy into a downstairs cabin. We don't want you getting in the way." Despite these words, Antonio knew that they also didn't want the five getting injured, seeing as how two were just kids, one was only just an adult, and the other two were new and hadn't even chosen to get on board in the first place.

However, Antonio felt the need to object to this. "But I want to help out!" He whined as the four aforementioned pirates, who had heard their names being spoken, agreed with him.

"Well you can't, I won't allow it." Lovino concluded before leading them to one of the bottom-most cabins. "You'll be in here, and the door will be locked from the inside, so nobody else can get in while you're inside. Just stay in here, and make sure to keep your weapons on you at all times, just in case someone _does_ get in."

The five non-fighters nodded disappointedly. Lovino then handed his youngest brother the keys to the room with specific instructions to lock the door and make sure nobody got out before leaving the room. Marcello obediently locked the door before sitting beside Feliciano.

"Well, looks like we're stuck in here..." Juan sighed.

X-x-X

Back up on the deck, the pirates of the _Schwarzwasser _were almost neck-and-neck with the _Pomodoro_, whose crew members were all prepared for a fight to the death. Romulus stood before the opposing pirate ship, glaring up at the man who stood in front of many others of the ship. He had long, blonde hair, the fringe of which was slicked back while the rest of it fell to his shoulders. His icy blue eyes pierced through Romulus' brown ones, glaring at him as if to size him up. He wore a green captain's uniform of a buttoned jacket, white shirt, black trousers and high-heeled boots, though he left out the standard captain's hat. The red of Romulus' similar uniform (he used a hat, and his jacket and shirt were left open) seemed to bring out the rage in his eyes as he gave his enemy a withering look.

"We meet again, Romulus," the Germanic captain yelled across as their boat pulled to a halt.

"So it seems, Folkert," the Roman captain replied.

"Well, you'd best be prepared - my seamen have been training up well, and I'm sure we'll be able to take you down with no trouble at all."

"You seem quite certain of that, but are you sure? The boy to the left of you looks like he's about to piss himself."

The boy in question, a young man with messy brown hair who was shaking in his boots, jumped a little and hid behind his taller friend, who glared at Romulus.

Folkert scowled. "Enough chit-chat. There is a battle to be fought."

X-x-X

The boys in the cabin sat in silence, unable to block out the screams and battle cries from the decks above them. There was nothing to be said, and all they could do was wait for it to be over.

Feliciano was completely terrified - what if one of those bloodthirsty pirates was able to get in?! There's no way in hell they'd survive an attack from one of them! Despite knowing that the door was securely locked from the inside, he still worried that someone would find their way in.

Marcello was also frightened, but he made an attempt to hide it as he comforted his brother and his friend Peter, who was also worried and scared. It was hard, trying to remain composed when most of the people around you were in a panic, but he knew he had to stay strong for them.

Juan was sitting alongside Antonio, sword in hand, guarding the door. They decided upon this precaution in case any intruders came in, though it was unlikely. From the sounds of it, the pirates all seemed pretty busy.

Antonio didn't exactly know how to feel; of course he was nervous, and worried, and absolutely terrified, but he also felt a strange rush of adrenaline, excitement, and the urge to go upstairs and beat up some pirates. He knew he wanted to leave and help his comrades, but he couldn't find a way of escaping (believe him, he'd tried looking, and Marcello had convinced him there was no escape from the cabin). Therefore, he had to resort to guarding the door alongside Juan, protecting the younger crew members and waiting it out as the seconds ticked by painfully on the pocket-watch in his pocket.

X-x-X

Needless to say, the battle lasted for the duration of the day. By the end of it, four of the five had fallen asleep, save for Marcello. He simply could not rest in a time like this.

Of course, when the gunshots and screaming stopped, and the sound of what sounded like hundreds of footsteps retreated and left the ship, the youngest Italian knew that the battle was over. Being careful not to wake Feliciano and Peter, who had fallen asleep on top of him, he stood up and walked over to the door, placing his ear against the wood and listening intently for any signs of movement. When he heard footsteps making their way down the hall, he quickly snatched up Juan's forgotten sword and pointed it at the door, a determined look on his face. He heard the doorknob rattle, and an irritated sigh from outside the door.

"W-who goes there?" he stuttered.

A muffled, yet familiar voice replied through the wood. "It's me, Arthur. Don't worry, the battle's over, for now at least. They'll sure as hell be back by morning, but you're safe for now. Now, will you open the damn door?"

Marcello lowered the sword and pulled out the key he had been entrusted with. Turning it in the lock, he allowed the Brit to step through the threshold. "Ah, good. You're all safe. Now, wake that lot up, there's a hell of a cleaning job going on up there and we need all the help we can get."

The pair then set to gently waking up their companions, telling them of the good news and the cleaning job. Once that was done, the six men trundled upstairs to the deck to face the aftermath.

X-x-X

A sigh emanated from the mouth of the Boatswain as he leaned back in his sturdy wooden chair, a hand placed over his tired eyes. It had been such a horrible battle, full of blood, death and casualties for both sides...

It was something he never wanted to have to go through again.

And yet, he knew that the battle would continue on the very next day, and possibly for the next few days after. It was a horrible reality.

A small knock resounded from the door, and in popped a blonde head with violet eyes concealed behind wire-rimmed glasses. "Romano, sir?"

"Please, call me Lovino, Matthew," Lovino adressed the boy. "Come in."

Matthew entered the room, closing the door behind him as he approached the Italian. "Thank you."

"For what?" Lovino smirked. "Now, what may be the reason for your visit?"

"Well, we've just been recovering the dead and aiding to the injured, when..."

"When what?"

"W-well, we only lost one person, b-but..."

"But?" Lovino urged the Canadian on, half-frustrated with his dragging out of the news.

"I-I'm sorry, Lovino. Your father was killed by First Mate Ardich Beilschmidt of the _Schwarzwasser_ in today's attack."

Lovino felt numb. Julio Vargas...dead? Of all people, his father was the first to be killed? How could this be? He was supposed to be one of the strongest on the ship, so...why him?

The Italian barely noticed as a tear slipped from his eyes, running smoothly down his cheek and landing on his lap, soon to be followed by many more. The Canadian by the door, not knowing what to do, merely whispered an apology before silently exiting the room.

Lovino barely registered his movements as he made his way to his bed and lay down, staring up at the dark wood above him as the tears fell. Soon he was curled into a ball, sobs racking at his small form. After a while the crying burned out, the complete loss of energy allowing Lovino to fall into a deep sleep filled with nightmares full of bloodthirsty pirates and the death of those closest to him.

X-x-X

* * *

**Translations:**

_Pomodoro_ - Tomato (Italian)  
_Schwarzwasser_ - Blakwater (German)

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Hey guys! So yeah, battle day numero uno! How exciting.  
Yes, I killed off a character. You shouldn't really be surprised, since they are in battle~  
Expect battle scenes in the next chapter!

**Thank you to: **MiraMizu15 and AnaGinnett for following!

**Thank you to: **Italia Forevah and Black Kaitou for favouriting!

**Responses to Reviews:**

**Epic F. Awesomesauce: **Hehe, I agree! x3 Gotta love dem accents~ Hmm... Well as the pairing thing in the first chapter **did **say Spamano, I'd think that kinda gave it away xD Well, if you're sure~ And as do I, as you can probably tel by my overuse of them xD

**Black Kaitou: **All shall be revealed later on~ And thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far :3

Thank you all again! You guys are awesome!

So yes, feedback is very much appreciated! Feel free to drop a review below~  
If you're curious or confused about anything at any point, feel free to ask and I'll answer to the best of my ability! No questions about what happens at the end or anything though, 'cause that's _spoilers_~

Also, I love hearing your opinions and theories on what you think will happen! If you have any, feel free to share :3

What shall happen in the next day of battle? Will the Vargases be okay after the death of one of their family? And will Matthew ever get over his stutter? All shall be revealed in the chapters following this one! :D

I do hope you're all enjoying this and I'm not just uploading random crap that nobody cares about~ I may not be the best at fight scenes, but hopefully next chapter will be good enough! Thanks and auf wiedersehen!

~Random ( = ¬ = )7

PS - I would have updated a bit earlier, but fanfiction wasn't working until like, an hour and a half after I got up :|


	8. The Second Day

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything~**

**WARNING: I dunno, violence, I suppose.**

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Second Day**

The second day of battle arrived too quickly for Lovino's liking. The second-eldest Italian on board had just been promoted to his father's old job of First Mate, after his brothers had been told of the incident, of course. Marcello had just sat quietly while Feliciano bawled, unable to bear the fact of his father's untimely demise. After calming down, Feli was given his older brother's old job of Boatswain, leaving the Sailmaker job vacant until after the battle, at least. The crew then spent the night either resting up or cleaning the decks, recovering bodies and treating various casualties.

The next morning was a blur. The crew were all back to their jobs of the previous day, and the same five who had been in the safe cabin the day before were back in there, despite their various protests. Lovino made sure they wouldn't be able to escape before leaving to do battle with the opposing pirates.

The attack started very much like the one of the day before, and the people on the lower decks experienced what was almost an exact replica of the first hour or so of the previous day.

Only the first hour.

Marcello, who had one again been trusted with the key, fell asleep, as did Peter, Feli, and Juan - but not Antonio. Antonio, who had found out that Marcello had the key, was able to pickpocket the key from the sleeping Italian. He unlocked the door, picking up his sword as he did so, and threw the key back inside before sneaking out of the cabin, happy to be free to help once more. With a determined expression on his face, he made his way to the upper decks, ready to fight.

X-x-X

Unbeknownst to the prince, Juan had actually been awake when he left. His urge to guard his friend overpowered the common sense to stay where he was, and he too left the room, this time in search of Antonio.

X-x-X

It was utter chaos; Thick clouds of black smoke drifted in the air, and blood was spattered in various locations on the floor, walls and sails of the ship. Bloodthirsty pirates battled fiercely, swords clashing in a heated rage. The Spaniard, at first, was shocked and in horror of the events going on around him, but he soon grew used to it, as a pirate with a fierce fire in his eyes pounced on him. Antonio swung his sword at the pirate, barely catching his leg. The pirate hissed in pain, his green eyes glaring as his brown hair started to fall out of the ponytail it had been pulled into. He stood up again and lunged for Antonio once more, though he was able to dodge and make his own attack on the pirate. He missed, and felt a slice of pain as his arm was nicked by the stranger's sword. Antonio leapt away from the pirate, clutching his arm in pain. _Damn, this is a tough battle, _he thought before aiming for the man once more. _Better get this over with soon._

X-x-X

Juan crept slowly up the staircase, peeking in on the chaos above. His eyes widened as he saw what was happening. He then stiffened his resolve, grabbed his sword, and plunged out into the mixture, ready to battle until the death.

X-x-X

Downstairs, Feliciano had awoken from his slumber, and was pacing anxiously around the room. _What am I supposed to do? What if Toni and Juan are being hurt?!_

He threw a sideways glance to Peter and Marcello, who were fast asleep in the corner of the room, a raggedy old blanket thrown over their shoulders. He gave a small smile towards the pair, but could not release his anxiety.

That's when he heard the footsteps.

Acting quickly, he threw another blanket over the pair's heads and hid behind a large crate in the back of the room, huddled in a ball with his hands over his ears. The unlocked door creaked open and footsteps resounded in the room, getting closer and closer to the cowardly Italian with every step. Everything seemed to stop moving when the footsteps reached him, and he glanced up, a terrified light in his eyes.

X-x-X

Antonio gave a final swing of his sword and ran from the pirate, who had been injured badly on his leg and wasn't exactly in top fighting condition. He knew he could have just killed the pirate there and then, but he wasn't a killer, and he knew he could never commit such an act. He hid behind some barrels in the corner, watching the various battles and readying himself for another.

That's when he saw it.

A flash of brown hair and turquoise-green eyes, the beholder of which was dancing around a pirate, sword raised in defence. The pirate, a man with silver hair and red eyes (how odd), continued to lunge at the brunette. Antonio couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity he felt when looking at the albino, but he just couldn't put his finger on who it might have been. He witnessed as the albino made one final stab, which finally plunged deep into the brunette man's chest. Antonio's eyes widened as his friend Juan fell to the floor, blood flowing freely from his chest. He rushed over to his fallen friend, who had been abandoned by the albino pirate from before. Antonio quickly dragged him to the side and attempted to stop the blood loss, but his attempts were in vain. Juan glanced up at his friend for the last time and whispered hoarsely, "I have done my duty, now you must do yours." His eyes became dim and the breathing stopped.

X-x-X

A man with slicked back blonde hair and icy blue eyes stood before Feliciano. He looked like the captain of the _Scwarzwasser_, but it was obvious that this man was younger, and at a lower rank in piracy. He did not make a motion to kill the Italian, merely staring in wonder at him before slowly lowering his sword.

Feli's eyes widened as he did this, and he let his hands fall to his sides. "W-who are you?"

The man crouched down to eye-level. "I am Ludwig Beilschmidt," he answered, his voice steady and measured.

"Y-you're from the _S-schwarzwasser_, aren't you?"

Ludwig nodded. "Yes, but don't worry, I won't hurt you."

Feli was surprised by this. "V-ve? B-but, you're a pirate!"

"I never wanted to be."

This also took the Italian by surprise. "W-what?"

Ludwig sighed and sat on the floor, his sword discarded by his side. "_Mein Vater und Bruder _both wanted some adventure in their lives, as did _mein Opa_. They all joined forces and bought a pirate ship, and found a crew. Against my will, they forced me to join too. I never wanted to be a pirate, and I'll never injure or kill like my family does."

"That's quite sad actually," Feli frowned. "They wouldn't let you not become a pirate?"

Ludwig shook his head. Feliciano sat up and extended a hand to the German.

"I'm Feliciano Vargas, by the way!"

Ludwig seemed to hesitate before taking the Italian's hand and shaking it. "_Freut mich_."

X-x-X

The battle ended not too long after the death of Juan. Ludwig was able to escape without anybody noticing, with a promise of meeting the Italian again sometime.

Antonio remained in his corner, crying over the death of his friend. Lovino noticed this not too long after the opposing pirates had left, and wandered over to him.

"Looks like you got out," he said rather softly. "Should've locked the door better, I suppose."

Antonio looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, before returning his gaze to Juan.

Lovino tutted before kneeling down before the Spaniard and putting his arms around him, rather awkwardly, of course. He hugged Antonio, trying to comfort the prince as much as he could.

"Stop crying, bastard. You don't suit a frown."

Antonio gave a small, watery chuckle, and hugged the Italian back.

_"Non ti preoccupare, bastardo di pomodoro. Andrà tutto bene. Sono qui per te." _Lovino whispered, attempting to make the Spaniard feel better.

_"Gracias, _Lovino,_" _he replied in thanks.

For just a few minutes, everything seemed alright.

X-x-X

* * *

Translations:

_Schwarzwasser_ - Blackwater (German)_  
Mein Vater und Bruder _- My father and brother (German)_  
Mein Opa _- My grandfather (German)_  
Freut mich _- Pleased to meet you [or the German equivalent, at least] (German)_  
Non ti preoccupare, bastardo di pomodoro. And__rà tutto bene. Sono qui per te _- Don't worry, tomato bastard. You'll be fine. I'm here for you. (Italian)  
_Gracias_ - Thank you (Spanish)

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Hola! So yeah, Juan is dead. I actually made that character for the sole purpose of killing him off too~

**Thank you to: **Cuore l'anima della for following!

Feedback is very much appreciated! Feel free to drop a review below~  
If you're curious or confused about anything at any point, feel free to ask and I'll answer to the best of my ability! No questions about what happens at the end or anything though, 'cause that's _spoilers_~

Also, I love hearing your opinions and theories on what you think will happen! If you have any, feel free to share :3

I won't keep you for too long, so all I have to say here is THANK YOU for all the support so far~ It makes an author really happy to see that her readers like her work.

By the way, should I update more often? Or should I keep it the way it is now? What's your opinion? It would help if I knew, thanks~

Bye~

~Random ( = ¬ = )7


	9. The End, for Some at Least

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Hetalia, and I probably never will.

**Note: **No, the title does not mean this is the end of the story (it's only about halfway done). You'll get it when you read the chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 9: The End, for Some at Least**

The dawn of the next day arrived in the same fashion that the previous two had, with the exception of a few things; first of all, Juan was no longer with them. After Antonio had calmed down the night before, he had became angry, and lustful for revenge. Lovino, seeing Antonio's desire to fight, decided to talk to his grandfather about the situation with the boys in the cabin. Eventually, they came to the conclusion that they should be allowed to choose whether to help or hide.

Antonio, of course, was now fighting alongside his crew members. After choosing carefully between the weapons, he picked out a sleek double-headed axe. He was determined to fight for his friends, to make sure that no one else got the fate that Juan had been subjected to.

Peter had chosen to join his brother in the medical room, helping tend to the injured sailors. He knew he was too young to fight, so he decided to help in the next best way possible.

Feliciano and Marcello had both decided to stay in the cabin below, since both were pacifists and not the best at fighting anyway (plus Feliciano knew he had a chance of meeting Ludwig again, and he didn't want to miss it).

Therefore, when the battle began, Marcello and Feliciano felt quite alone, despite having each other's company.

"_Fratello_?" Marcello voiced quietly.

"_Si, _Marcello?" Feliciano turned to face his younger brother, who was snuggled up against his shoulder, a brown blanket draped over the pair.

"Why do we have to fight?"

This question struck Feli, making him really think for a while about the answer before he finally said, "Because in this world, people seem to think fighting is the only way to get what they want."

X-x-X

On this day, Antonio was much more ruthless in battle; less forgiving, might it be said. He did not allow his prey to survive when he had the upper hand. Filled with rage from the murder of his best friend, he struck down many unlucky seamen of the _Schwarzwasser_, and did not even hesitate in doing so.

Lovino could see this change in the Spaniard's eyes; the way he now positively rushed into battle and fought with all of his strength to defeat any enemy. _If he was trained up a little more, he'd probably be an excellent fighter, _Lovino thought. _Not that he isn't already, of course._

The battledoers fought gallantly, though they did sustain various injuries and many did die in the battle. They persevered, knowing that if they faltered for even the slightest second, it could be their last. Therefore, they fought, and continued to fight; for the crew, for _Rabbia _and Juan, for the _Pomodoro_.

X-x-X

Somehow, Ludwig was able to sneak down to the lowest cabin once more. There, he encountered Feli, almost alone except for the small boy sleeping on his legs.

"Oh, _ciao_, Ludwig!" Feli greeted happily, keeping his voice low so as not to wake the sleeping boy.

"_Guten Tag,_ Feli. Who is this?"

"Ah, this is _mi fratellino_, Marcello." Feliciano giggled. "He's completely worn out; he was up all night yesterday helping clear up."

Ludwig sat down beside the small Italians. "Ah, I see. He looks like you."

Feli nodded. "Yeah, apparently we all look alike, even _Mamma_."

"What happened to your mother?" Ludwig asked curiously. He knew that the boy's grandfather was the ship's captain, and that his father had died just two days previously, but he had never heard of a mother. "Is she on the ship?"

Feli chuckled at this. "The _Pomodoro_ doesn't allow women on board! Apparently it's bad luck, but I think it's so we can protect them from battles like this~"

"On the _Schwarzwasser_ we allow women - ever since we found out that Daniel was actually a female named Elizabeta. Before that, no women were allowed whatsoever, but somehow she was able to sneak on, disguised as a man. As it turns out, she's one of our best fighters."

"Ve~ Well, I dunno. _Mi mamma_ is actually back home, in _Roma_. Even if women were allowed here, she said she'd never want to be a pirate anyway."

"I don't blame her."

"Me neither, but look at where we are! Funny how life seems to do that, huh?"

"Yeah, funny..."

X-x-X

"Okay, Peter, will you go and get some bandages from the supply closet please?" James asked his younger brother as he cleaned the wounds of an unconscious sailor.

"Okay!" Peter chirped before rushing to the supply closet.

The supply closet was a room just down the hall from the medical room, filled with various bandages, antiseptics and other medical equipments. Humming, the small boy searched around the room (which had no light sources, mind you) for the bandages, feeling along the shelves for anything remotely alike to the soft material. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't hear the quiet footsteps in the hallway behind him, or the hushed voices of the two men in the hall. In fact, he didn't even notice their presence until one of the men grabbed him, covering his mouth with a cloth soaked with chloroform. Peter, unsuspecting of this attack, jumped and inhaled deeply due to surprise, therefore inhaling the chloroform*. As his body began to go numb and his world turned dark, the last thing he heard was a deep voice saying, _"Sleep, child."_

X-x-X

After many hours, the signal rang out for the people of the _Schwarzwasser _to return to the deck. Feli and Marcello hid behind the door, watching as Ludwig joined his crewmates. On the starboard side of the deck stood the _Pomodoro_'s crew, while on the port side were the _Schwarzwasser_'s. In the front of each of these crowds stood the captain of the crew in question, a revolver gripped tightly in each's right hand.

"Just give up, Romulus," Folkert sneered. "You should know by now that my crew are more than able to take down yours in a matter of seconds."

Romulus smirked. "Funny how most of yours are the ones lying on the floor dead, then."

"Just go back to your wine and women. There's no room for such an imbecile on the seven seas."

"Oh, so you're going home then? Pity, I would have liked to have been able to talk to you for longer."

"Well, looks like the chatting time is almost up." Folkert raised his revolver, but Romulus made no move to raise his.

"Well then, shoot me. You're more than able."

"Maybe I will."

No bullets were fired.

Romulus burst out laughing. "See?! You don't even have the courage to pull the damn trigger! How pathetic!"

Folkert scowled, his grip tightening.

"Ah, old friend, maybe you need a bit of a hand." Romulus chuckled. He turned to his First Mate and whispered something in his ear, handing him the gun before striding over to his enemy. Lovino made to grab his grandfather's sleeve, his mouth opening to protest, but was held back by Matthew, who shook his head sadly.

The Captain of the _Pomodoro_ stood face-to-face with the Captain of the _Schwarzwasser_. He subconsciously noted the small shakes of his foe's hand as it gripped the revolver, which was now pointed to the Roman's heart. He chuckled. "Folkert, we're both such old men now. Can't we just stop?"

Folkert's brows furrowed. "What do you-"

His words were cut off by a pair of hands overlapping his own, thumbs against the finger leaning against the trigger. Romulus leaned forward and whispered quietly, _"You always said that the fighting talk was getting old."_

A quick touch of the lips.

Surprise.

The pulling of a trigger.

Crumpled.

Folkert stood in shock as the man before him fell limp, breathing fast. As his crew began to retreat to their ship, he looked down at his rusted gun before throwing it down beside the man and joining them in their retreat.

Lovino, Feliciano and Marcello were the first ones to reach their _nonno_, tears streaming down their faces. The old man smiled sadly at his grandchildren.

"Boys...my...boys..."

Lovino leaned towards the man, whispering fast and furiously in Italian. Feliciano shook his head, not wanting to believe what was happening. Marcello simply stared.

"You're all so...grown up..."

He shuddered slightly before turning to the eldest. "Lovino...take care...of your _fratelli...si_?" Lovino nodded, and the old man sighed. "_Grazie, mi nipote. _Good luck...to you all...and...tha-"

Romulus took a sharp, last breath, before falling limp and lifeless to the floor.

On that day, it was truely as though the world had imploded.

X-x-X

* * *

**Translations:**

_Fratello/fratellino/fratelli _- Brother/little brother/brothers (Italian)_  
Si_ - Yes (Italian/Spanish)  
_Schwarzwasser_ - Blackwater (German)  
_Rabbia -_ Rage (Italian)  
_Pomodoro_ - Tomato (Italian)  
_Ciao_ - Hello/bye (Italian)  
_Guten Tag_ - Hello [literally 'good day'] (German)  
_Mamma_ - Mum (Italian)  
_Roma_ - Rome (Italian)  
_Nonno_ - Grandfather (Italian)  
_Grazie_ - Thanks (Italian)  
_Mi nipote_ - My grandson (Italian)

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Pleasedon'tkillmepleasedon'tkillme /shot  
No but seriously, hello! Yes, I killed off Roma. It was necessary. It's like, the fall of Rome.

So yeah, that's the end of the fight arc! We're now about halfway through this thing~

**Thank you to: **Jayfeather24 and Lenarea G. Tiger for following!

**Thank you to: **Jayfeather24 and jonna90 for favouriting!

**Responses to Reviews:**

**A Person: **Firstly, before I answer your reviews; you are awesome and I freaking cracked up at all of these, and I was at school when I read them so that made it even better xD Anywhoo:  
(Ch. 1) Actually, it was me wondering that which was a contributing factor to wanting to write this~ I always see Toni as the pirate, but barely ever Lovi, so I thought, "Why not?" xD Why thank you! :3  
(Ch. 3) Well, what can I say? He just doesn't smile for whatever reason (he's still cute though x3). Well, if you have Captain Roma as your captain, then a little fun now and then is a nice break~ Yeah, don't ask... ^-^"  
(Ch. 4) Yeeeaaahhh not the best chapter in the world "OTL And while the name Powder Monkey may be cool, the occupation itself must be hell :|  
(Ch. 5) Hehe xD I didn't want to use an overused cliché and since it was in Romano's POV I thought, "Well he's not exactly going to relate it to fluffy bunnies and dancing butterflies, is he?" Stinging bees, much more vicious :D (I never really thought so myself, but apparently I was mistaken~)  
(Ch. 6) *pushes up glasses* At approximately 3 x 10 to the power of 8 metres per second - more commonly known as the speed of light. xD I dunno.  
(Ch. 7) Ah, so you guessed what would happen in the next chapter without even knowing it~ Damn, thought my plan was foolproof... xD And yeah, Lovi just kinda cryed himself to sleep... Well, at least I know now that you guys are feeling something! :D  
(Ch. 8) Told ya~ Hehehe... I shall not answer that, 'cause I think you know the answer. Yes, fate is cruel, but as is the person who decides fate, no? Thank you very much for all of the reviews! I'm positively swimming in them here! Thanks again :3

**Black Kaitou:** Ah, all shall be revealed soon enough~ (I say that too much...) Of course he won't like it, he's Lovi! Yeah, that might end badly... Okay, since it's not explained in the story, I'll explain here: Since Toni's the prince and all that jazz, he was trained in both long-range and short-range combat using multiple weapons when he was a teenager (great anger management, I know). He particularly favoured the short-ranged, and his best weapons were axes, though he was just as good with swords. When he was guarding the cabin with Juan, both of them had just been tossed a random sword by Lovi, so they had to just go with the swords. On the second day, he strictly wasn't meant to be outside of the cabin, so once more he had to deal with the sword. In this chapter though, he was given permission to fight, meaning he was allowed to choose his own weapon. Naturally, he chose the axe. Sorry for the long explanation and I hope it helped! Thanks for reviewing :3

**Lenarea G. Tiger: **Thank you! I'm glad you like it so far :3

Okay, I've gone on for long enough here. Just to say thanks again, hope you enjoyed the chappie, feedback is appreciated, feel free to leave a comment/theory in the review box, and thanks again!

Adios!

~Random ( = ¬ = )7


	10. Grievance

**WARNING: This chapter includes self harm (sorry). Please do not read this chapter if you feel like you can't or don't want to in case of triggering. Feel free to ask for a summary of the chapter if you do skip it, since it is quite an important chapter. Also, if you do self harm, or are depressed, or anything of the sort, stay strong. I'm always here to listen, and I'm sure many others are too.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia, Himaruya does.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Grievance**

The next day, the ship docked at a small deserted island a few miles off so the crew could hold a funeral for those lost in the battle. Juan, Romulus, Julio, and a few others were cleaned, put into their best clothes and covered with cloths before being cremated. Many tears were shed at the ceremony, especially for the remaining Vargases, who felt they had nobody except for themselves left, albeit their mother, who was in Rome. Antonio and many others wished they could do something for the boys, but knew there was nothing they could do.

When the ship set sail once more, the ashes of the dead were scattered to the seas, the wind picking them up and carrying them to the Heavens, or the waters taking them for their own. Lovino, the temporary Captain (since he didn't feel that he could take the full responsibility of the job), set the Navigator a course. He then told his crew to get on with their usual everyday tasks before locking himself away from the world in shame and depression.

Feliciano and Marcello were worried for their brother, but understood how he felt. They were also on the brink of depression, but they still tried to keep up with their daily chores. They tried their best to act happy, despite how everyone knew they were not.

Antonio was also extremely worried for Lovino and his brothers, but had no idea how to handle the situation. Therefore he just tried to keep the spirits up and take control when the crew needed something, since Lovino was unavailable for most of the time. Antonio had decided he'd do his bit for the crew, and hopefully Lovino would get better soon.

X-x-X

_Useless. Cowardly. Unable to save anyone._

With every insult he gave himself, the colour red grew on his wrists; and his arms, and his ankles. Bracelets of red decorated the skin which he kept concealed behind now rolled-down sleeves, where they had usually been rolled up, and long trousers and boots, which he never removed in public. He would not let anyone find out. He would not let anyone stop him - not that they'd care. He wouldn't let himself feel like anyone did care - he didn't deserve it. He deserved nothing. He deserved _death_.

Lovino thought of Antonio; sweet, wonderful Antonio; courageous, gorgeous Antonio.

_Sinner_, he called himself.

During the battle, Lovino had suddenly had the realisation that his feelings for Antonio were not at all just friendly - the way his heart burned whenever Antonio was around, or even mentioned; the way his stomach ached and his head pounded and he found himself dreaming of nights spent in a loving embrace - no, these feelings were different.

He had, of course, stubbornly denied it at first. He and his family were very strict Catholics. He knew the rules.

But, of course, then his _nonno_ had died. And just before he did, he had broken one of these rules; he had kissed another man.

Lovino figured that, since he was already going to hell anyway, he might as well just stop denying his feelings. He knew they'd never be reciprocated, but at least he could stop denying his emotions and just call himself a _sinner_, a _disgrace to God_.

So he continued to hide his bracelets, until the one night where he received an unexpected visitor who simply did not have the courtesy to knock.

X-x-X

There he sat, tears streaming down his face as he placed more bracelets onto his skin, whispering hate and torture to himself. He had expected the usual peace and quiet, and did not count on the door bursting open halfway through this masochistic ritual.

"Lovi~!"

Startled, he accidentally made a cut on his palm. "Owch!"

Antonio heard the cry and rushed forward. "Ah, Lovi, are you okay, _mi querido_? Did it hurt...you..." he trailed off as he noticed the bracelets which had been so easily hidden. "Lovino...you..."

Lovino looked down, waiting for the insults which were bound to be flung at him.

_"¡IDIOTA!"_

A pair of warm, strong arms flung themselves around the Italian's small, startled figure, causing him to drop his blade, which fell to the floor with a clatter.

"_¡Lovino idiota! ¡¿Por has hecho eso?! !Ni se te ocurra hacerte esto tu mismo otra vez! !No quiero que est__é__s triste!_"

Lovino was startled by the Spaniard's sudden comfort. "_C-che cazzo_?!"

"I know, I'll perform my cheer up charm! Fusososososososo~ Fusososososososo~" the prince chanted, sitting back and waving his arms around. "Now you should at least feel a little better! So, let's get you cleaned up!"

The Spaniard quickly left the room, leaving Lovino puzzled and confused. _What the hell was that all about?_

Antonio returned quickly, antiseptic in one hand and bandages in the other. "Now, this will sting a little bit, _lo siento_." He knelt down before the Italian and gently took his hand, carefully pouring some antiseptic into a cloth and rubbing it over the bracelets of red. Lovino flinched, but allowed him to continue treating his wounds until every bracelet on his arms, wrists and ankles had been cleaned and bandaged up. Antonio then took both of Lovino's hands and looked him in the eyes, a serious expression taking over for his absent cheery grin.

"Please, Lovino, tell me why you did this."

Lovino had been expecting the question, and had planned to not let anything slip. However, one glance into those spellbinding eyes made him forget the plan and begin to tell the truth.

"Y-you know how _n-nonno _died..."

"_¿__Si_?"

"W-well...it wasn't Folkert who k-killed him."

"...what?"

Lovino opened one of his desk drawers and pulled out a small bottle, inside of which was a blood-stained bullet, shining through the grime. He also picked out the rival captain's old gun, which he had left behind when his crew retreated. "T-tell me, Antonio. What model is this g-gun?"

Antonio took the gun and examined it before answering. "I'd say this is...a Walther P38, maybe?"

"C-close. A Luger P08 pistol." He then passed over the bullet. "And d-does this bullet match the gun type?"

The Spaniard closely examined the two before concluding, "No."

"Exactly. This b-bullet comes from a Brescia Flare Pistol, an Italian-made gun. The bullet was found in _n-__nonno_'s body - it was the one that k-killed him."

"You mean to say..."

"I-it wasn't Folkert who k-killed him."

"So...who...?" Antonio trailed off, eyes widening in realisation.

"T-the one who killed _n-nonno_...was me."

X-x-X

* * *

**Translations:**

_Mi querido -_ My dear/love/other endearing term (Spanish)_  
__¡IDIOTA! - _IDIOT! (Spanish)_  
__¡Lovino idiota! ¡¿Por has hecho eso?! !Ni se te ocurra hacerte esto tu mismo otra vez! !No quiero que est__é__s triste! - _Lovino you idiot! Why would you do that?! Please don't ever do this to youself again! I don't want you to be sad! (Spanish)_  
__Che cazzo?! _- What the fuck?! (Italian)_  
__Lo siento _- I'm sorry (Spanish)_  
Nonno_ - Grandfather (Italian)  
_Si_ - Yes (Spanish/Italian)

* * *

**Note:**

Both of the mentioned guns are real. The first two are German ones used in WW2, while the Italian one is one I found on Google. (I bet my browser history looks really suspicious now...)

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Yup.

**Thank you to: **HappyNeon and terminallyToreador for following!

**Thank you to: **HappyNeon and Lovina-Badass-Vargas for favouriting!

**Responses to Reviews:**

**A Person: **I always reply to all of my reviews as much as possible, so worry not. You can probably see why he was confused now. Don't worry, the Peter-situation will be touched upon soon (I think next chapter). Thanks again for the review.

**Black Kaitou:** Yep, definitely. (I need to listen to that now...)

~Random ( = ¬ = )7


	11. The Truth Will Out

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Hetalia~ (Also, happy birthday to Hima-papa! :D)

* * *

**Chapter 11: The Truth Will Out**

After what felt like a mere five minutes of dark nothingness, Peter began to wake up, though not with open eyes. As he became more aware of his surroundings, he noticed the familiar beat of the waves beneath him. _So I'm still on a boat..._

Being a mouth-breather, the second thing Peter noticed was that a piece of cloth had been tied around his head, effectively gagging him (and causing him to choke on the cloth upon breathing). Upon attempting to breath through his nose, the smell of dirt, sweat and dried blood reached his nostrils, making him scrunch his nose up in disgust. He wasn't sure he even wanted to open his eyes to see what was in the room (when he tried he saw that his eyes had also been blocked by cloth, therefore dampening two of his senses).

Peter also noticed the faint feeling of something squeezing his sides, and soon figured out that he had been tied to something (most likely a stool, since his hands were tied behind his back and his legs were also tied together). _I've been kidnapped! _he realised. _Oh no, how on earth am I going to get back to the _Pomodoro_ now? Where even am I?_

It was then that he paid attention to one of his only remaining senses and listened carefully for any sounds. At first, all that could be heard was the muffled yells of the people above, but after what felt like an hour, he heard footsteps entering the room. The footsteps were heavy, indicating that the person was probably very tall and buff. The person continued their walk across the room until they reached Peter. He felt the mouth gag fall away first before his eyesight was restored. After hours of darkness, his eyes took a minute or so to adjust to the light. When he could see properly, he looked up into the face of a giant.

The man was around 5'11". Blonde hair swept around his head above a stern face, complete with furrowed brows and what looked like a scowl. His eyes were covered by dirty spectacles, making it near impossible for Peter to see what the orbs looked like. He wore the generic pirate uniform that any other pirate would wear, with a sword strapped to his belt. The giant grunted at Peter before moving to the back of the chair. Peter was terrified, and certainly did not expect it when the man loosened the ropes around his back, letting the boy take control of his numb hands once more. Peter turned around on his seat, gazing in astonishment at the man, who had just picked up a plate from a nearby barrel and was now offering it to him. Upon the plate was a single slice of bread and butter.

Hesitantly, Peter took the food, eyes never leaving the man's. Once Peter had taken the plate, the man grunted once more before leaving the room (which turned out to be a storeroom). Peter then had no hesitation in eating the bread, since he was completely starving. _Hopefully I'll get back to the _Pomodoro_ soon..._ he thought as he finished his last morsel of bread.

X-x-X

Back on the _Pomodoro_, Feliciano and Marcello were taking care of a rather large situation that had just popped up.

"Peter's gone!" James cried, a stressed and anxious expression on his face. His brothers stood with him, similar looks on their faces as they paced around, trying to figure out where they had seen their little brother last.

"Last time I saw him was just before the start of the third battle." Arthur said. "He said something about going to help James..."

Feliciano nodded at this. "Yes, _fratello_ allowed him to help James with the wounded sailors whilst Toni fought and Marcello and I were downstairs."

"So then James saw him last?" Iain concluded.

"Yeah, he was helping me when we ran out of bandages. I asked him to go and get some more from the supply closet..."

"And then he disappeared." Arthur finished, sighing. "Do you think he was kidnapped?"

"What? Why would they kidnap him?" Iain asked sceptically. "What need is there for him on the _Schwarzwasser_?"

"They might have wanted to anger us...to provoke us into another attack." Marcello reasoned. "It would be completely reckless of us to do so, so maybe they wanted us to risk it."

"That's not a bad theory...but is it true?"

The five men were quiet, contemplating their situation. Feliciano decided to let them deal with it alone and slipped away, moving over to the side of the ship.

_I wonder how _fratello_ is..._ he wondered. _Antonio is taking a while talking to him...I'm sure he's okay...but still..._

Feliciano sighed, gazing out across the ocean and reflecting on their losses. Both his father and his grandfather had fallen in battle, and now his older brother - the only male left in their family - was becoming reclusive and most likely depressed. Feliciano, as the second eldest, knew that he'd need to be the responsible one until his brother was stable again.

Thinking back to the battle, Feli remembered his encounters with Ludwig. His heart beat a dull tattoo against his ribcage. He smiled to himself. _I want to see him again..._

His thoughts returned to Lovino as he saw Antonio rush from the captain's and first mate's quarters to the medical store and back, armed with a roll of bandages on the way back. Puzzled, Feli merely stared after the Spaniard in confusion. _What...?_

X-x-X

_Back with Lovino and Antonio..._

_"¿...q-que?" _Antonio stuttered in shock.

"I-I...I m-murdered _nonno_..." Lovino's voice was quiet and shaky. "It's all my fault...I-I...I killed him!" A flood of tears cascaded from the eldest Italian's eyes, which refused to meet Antonio's.

"What?! Please Lovino, explain what you mean!"

"Don't you get it bastard! Evaluate what happened!"

After thinking about it, it all seemed to make sense to Antonio. He remembered seeing Romulus whisper something into Lovino's ear, seeing him hand over the gun, seeing the shock and fear in Lovino's eyes as he tried to convince his grandfather _no_ - but in the end, it didn't matter. After a while, Antonio finally replied to Lovino.

"He told you to kill him."

Lovino nodded, sobbing quietly into his bandaged hands. "A-and I did it..."

Antonio nodded in understanding before pulling the Italian back into a loving embrace. "Shh, _mi querido_. It's not your fault. _No es tu culpa_."

"Y-yes it is! I k-killed him!"

"He asked you to! He obviously knew that he was going to die, and he obviously wanted you to be the one to end his life."

"B-but...why m-me?"

"He probably knew that Folkert wouldn't do it. By asking you to do it, he was making sure that the one he loved didn't get ridiculed by his own crew for not shooting. He knew his life was up, and he knew that you would be able to do it. Feli would chicken out. Marcello would refuse. He knew you'd do this one last favour for him." Antonio reasoned, causing Lovino to be surprised by his intellect. Lovino had one last question on his tongue.

"...why?"

"Because he loves you. Just as much as Feli or Marcello, he loves you."

Lovino launched forward and buried his head in Antonio's shoulder, allowing the other to pull him into an embrace as he cried all of his tears away into a dreamless slumber.

X-x-X

* * *

**Translations:**

_Pomodoro _- Tomato (Italian)_  
Fratello_ - Brother (Italian)  
_Schwarzwasser_ - Blackwater (German)  
_Nonno_ - Grandfather (Italian)  
_Mi querido_ - My dear/love/other term of endearment (Spanish)  
_No es tu cupla_ - It's not your fault (Spanish)

* * *

**Author's Notes: **So hey! I decided to put in a little filler bit about Peter, then another about Feli, just so I could keep the suspense and keep you all wondering "What? How? When? Who? Why?" and whatever else for just a bit longer.

I kept the last bit together with this bit though, since I wasn't going to make you wait until the next update to find out.

**Thank you to: **JTyranny, NatTheWerewolf, caramelkreme and TarrelYoukai for following!

**Thank you to: **TarrelYoukai and clucluland for favouriting!

**Responses to Reviews:**

**Guest: **Hehehe...

**FonicCrystal: **I know... Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying this uwu

**Black Kaitou:** Yup! And now you know why.

Thank you all again and see you next time~

~Random ( = ¬ = )7


	12. Of Captains and Captives

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Of Captains and Captives**

After that day, the bracelets began to disappear from Lovino's wrists, his arms, his ankles. Replacing them at first were bandages, and then small hearts doodled on by Antonio, as well as his worried brothers, to whom he had explained everything. They were surprisingly understanding about it, albeit a bit upset that he hadn't told them sooner.

However, soon things returned to normal. Lovino regained his normal attitude and took up his duty as First Mate, his main priority being the elections for the new Captain.

It was tradition on the _Pomodoro_ that whenever a new Captain was needed, an election would be held so every seaman could have his say on their new leader. Lovino, who should have been next in line to be the Captain, turned down the job offering and remained as the First Mate. He did try to convince Antonio to join the election, though.

"Why me? How on earth would I be a good Captain?" Antonio asked in wonder. "I can't even do most of my jobs properly, and yet you think I'd be suitable for Captain?"

"Antonio, listen to me. You would sure as hell be one of the best captains we've ever had, I'm sure of it. Plus, it would show that you're ready to take on the throne of Spain."

After a bit of persuasion, Antonio finally agreed to enter the running.

By election day, the only two candidates were Antonio and Sadiq, the Gunman. The crew were excited for the elections, and were interested in the rivalry between the pair. Almost every seaman voted in the election, which ended up as a draw. Lovino was then left to announce what the decider would be.

"The decider is a battle between the two candidates, Antonio and Sadiq. They must duel, each using their chosen close-range weapon. They are not allowed to kill or seriously injure their opponent. The first to be disarmed and cornered will be the loser. The battle will begin at dawn tomorrow. Good luck to both contestants."

Antonio and Sadiq glared at each other as the crew cheered in excitement. As they passed one another to head in opposite directions, Sadiq said quietly, in a voice that only Antonio could hear, "Let's make this interesting, eh? The winner not only gets to be Captain, but they also get Lovino to themselves. I mean, the Captain and First Mate _do_ share a room here."

Growling, Antonio turned to the Turkish man, but he had already wandered off into the crowd.

_Well,_ he thought, _better win this thing. I'll never let that masked creep take advantage of my Lovi!_

X-x-X

It was time for the battle to commence.

Antonio and Sadiq stood opposite each other in the centre of a ring of men. Their prize, Lovino, stood with a very familiar Captain's hat at the side of the ring, ready to begin the match. He hushed the crowd before reminding them of the rules. Afterwards, he glanced towards the two, whispering a good luck, before using two of his fingers to signal a piercing whistle into the air.

Sadiq made the first move, darting forward with his broadsword to attack the Spaniard, who made a quick guard using his double-bladed axe. He then twirled his axe with practised precision and struck the Turk's sword with it, using all of his strength to push it away. Sadiq smirked before pulling his sword out from under Antonio's, which caused him to lose his balance slightly, giving the Turk a clear advantage. He prepared to strike, but was stopped when he felt a sharp pain nick at his leg; Toni jumped up and hit struck him again, this time on the arm. He continued this way, making small nicks in the arms and legs of Sadiq, who was growing increasingly irritated. Finally, Toni nicked his upper thigh, causing him to drop his sword in surprise. Antonio pushed the sword away with his foot and pressed his opponent against a wall, his axe pointing directly at his chest.

Another sharp whistle resounded, and a large applause came from the audience as Antonio stepped away from Sadiq. He couldn't believe what he was hearing - were they cheering for him?

"Congratulations, Antonio. You are the winner," Lovino announced. "Come over here." Antonio approached the Italian, who wore a faint smile. "Congrats, Toni. I told you you'd be a good Captain." Lovino roughly pushed the hat on the Spaniard's head and lifted his right arm with his left, causing the crowd to cheer even louder. Antonio grinned - he felt so elated! He'd won!

Sadiq scowled before walking up to him and whispering, "Congrats, pretty-boy. Don't get too cocky though, there are plenty of better fighters than me." And with that, he took back off into the crowd.

Lovino looked over at Antonio, a confused look on his face. "What was that all about?"

"Nothing, it doesn't matter~" Toni replied, smiling once more.

X-x-X

_Meanwhile..._

Peter was now becoming accustomed to the sight of the store cabin. The horrid smell turned out to be the dried dirt and blood on his body from during the battle. The only other things in the store room, other than him, were multiple barrels filled with food and various other supplies. Every five or so hours, the same tall man would come in and give him something to eat. He was mostly given bread and butter, but on occasion he would be given the treat of porridge or fruit, and once a strip of bacon. Peter may have been scared at first, but now he was used to the sight of the giant coming in with a small plate in his large hands.

After around a week and a half, it was time for Peter to be given some more food. However, when the giant walked in this time, he was not alone. Behind him walked a much shorter man with short hair of a lighter shade of blonde, a blue and white bandanna tied around his head. He had blue-violet eyes which were full of life, and wore the common white t-shirt and black trousers with boots. He smiled at Peter and knelt down beside him.

"Hello, little one."

Peter shrunk a little, not yet trusting of this stranger.

The stranger merely chuckled. "Don't worry, I don't bite. Now, do you want to tell me your name?"

Having not used his voice in a while, the young boy's reply came out croaky and weak. "Peter."

"Peter, that's a nice name." The man smiled. "I'm Tino, and this is Berwald."

The giant, who must have been Berwald, gave a short nod to the boy.

"A-am I on the _Schwarzwasser_?"

Tino had a sad look in his eyes. "Yes. You have been for almost two weeks now."

"W-why...?"

Tino opened his mouth to reply before faltering. He looked towards his companion, who grunted and nodded once. Tino then turned back to Peter and answered, "We're sorry. We were ordered by our Captain to kidnap you so we could hold you hostage for a ransom. Well, actually, he ordered Berwald to. I helped. The Captain said he'd punish Berwald if he didn't...and the last time he got punished..." Tino turned to Berwald and removed the man's glasses, allowing his eyes to be seen. Peter gasped.

One of Berwald's eyes was completely normal - a sharp blue colour, though it looked a lot less stern than the rest of his face. His other eye, however, was closed, a large scar slashed across the lid.

"He was blinded in one eye."

Without realising it, Peter's hand moved towards Berwald's closed eye. The taller man allowed the young boy to touch his eye with his index finger, closing his other eye as it approached. Peter then retracted his hand.

"I..."

"It's okay." Berwald said gruffly, his voice deep and his accent broad. "I don't mind."

X-x-X

The rest of the day for Antonio was spent moving all of his stuff to the Captain's Quarters, which he shared with the First Mate (AKA Lovino, who was also only just moving in today, since he'd forgotten to previously). When the two were finally done moving in, they simply lay down on their beds and stared up at the ceiling.

"I wonder what my dreams will be of tonight." Antonio said sleepily. "I hope it involves tomatoes~"

Lovino laughed. "Knowing you, they probably will be."

The two chuckled together for a few minutes.

"_Buenos noches, _Lovi."

"_Buonanotte, _Antonio."

X-x-X

* * *

**Translations:**

_Pomodoro _- Tomato (Italian)  
_Schwarzwasser _- Blackwater (German)  
_Buenos noches _ - Good night (Spanish)  
_Buonanotte _- Good night (Italian)

* * *

**Author's Notes: **So yeah, this is kinda filler-ish, I suppose? A bit of Peter, but mostly the whole Captain thing. According to my research, the crew usually did elect their captains, so yeah. Don't think they shared quarters though, but oh well.

Sorry that I can't write fight scenes very well "OTL

**Thank you to: **MrowProw for favouriting!

**Responses to Reviews:**

**Roxburry Black:** Yup, that was Berwald. Don't worry, he'll be fine. Thank you! uwu

**A Person:** (Ch. 10) Yeah, it is. I don't think I intended for it to even get this intense when I was planning it...  
(Ch. 11) Well, it's Lovi. He feels really bad about the whole thing, and hates himself for doing it. Don't worry, Antonio is great at stuff like this! :D Yes, it should be an interesting development! (I think there's more on that next chapter...ehehe...)

**MrowProw:** Ve! I'm sorry! Pleasedon'tkillmeI'mavirginwe'repatheticenoughasit isandwheredoyouthinktheygetvirginoliveoilIhaverela tivesinyourcountrysopleasedon'tkillmeIDON'TWANTTOD IIIIIIIEEE (sorry~)

Feedback is appreciated and stuff~

Ugh, fanfiction and their email notifications aren't workinnnnggg. I didn't get the notification for that last review, and I haven't had any for the many fanfics which have been uploaded over the last few days. It's really annoying. I'm sorry if any of you don't get the email for this chapter. Not my fault.

See ya next time!

~Random ( = ¬ = )7


	13. Feelings and Dockings

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Hetalia, would I be writing this fic? Exactly.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Feelings and Dockings**

On one fine evening, when most of the crew had retired to their Quarters, Lovino remained on the deck to watch the stars glisten in the night sky above the velvety waters which rocked the boat gently as they travelled. He enjoyed this time to himself, getting to think and just relax before going to rest.

Feliciano soon joined him. "_Ciao, fratello. _Looking at the stars again?"

The elder Italian nodded in reply, but spoke no words.

"_Fratello_, have you ever been in love?" the younger Italian asked unexpectedly.

Lovino froze, reminded of the question he had been asked before. This time, however, he knew his answer would be different.

"I...I think...so." His reply was hesitant.

"I see. I won't ask you who, but how did you know you liked them?"

"Well...my chest felt all weird. Like, I thought I was gonna have a heart attack or something, my heart was beating that fast. And I constantly felt queasy, though I suppose that's supposed to be the butterflies or some shit. And my head hurt thinking about hi- them."

"Ah."

"Why, might I ask?"

Feliciano took a few seconds before hesitantly answering. "_Fratello_, I think I might be in love."

"Alright, whose ass do I need to whip into shape now?" Lovino said teasingly, though his brother didn't seem to see the joke.

"What? No, you don't need to do that! It's just, I felt similar when I was around this person, but he- they're not here at the moment."

Lovino sighed. "So where are they then? Was it in one of the ports?"

There was no answer from Feli, leaving the elder Italian to come to his own conclusions. His eyes widened as he realised his brother's predicament.

"Feli...don't tell me you..."

"..."

"...you fell in love with someone from the _Schwarzwasser_, didn't you?"

X-x-X

_Meanwhile..._

Every day, Peter would be visited in the cabin by Tino and Berwald. The three would usually converse for a while, the two older pirates telling the younger boy adventures of the high seas and interesting happenings from the decks above. One day, during their visit, Tino announced something that Peter thought he'd never hear.

"We're stopping off at a little port in Cyprus soon." The Finn said as he chewed on a piece of leftover bread. "Apparently the Captain has business there."

"What sort of business?" Peter asked curiously.

"I'm not sure. All I heard was 'distraction' and 'burn'. I hope we're not pillaging the port - we never seem to have a relaxing stop anywhere, and I'm tired of thieving from innocent people."

"'pparently the _Pomodoro_ is close by too." Berwald said slowly. "Might have something to do with them."

Peter's eyes lit up with hope. "The _Pomodoro_'s close by?! Does that mean I'll see my family again?!"

Tino's face contorted into a sad look. "I'm not sure Peter. It depends on what the Captain says..."

Peter's face fell. He knew that the Captain probably wouldn't let him off the ship, so it was unlikely that he'd meet up with his family again. Tino moved in and gave the boy a hug, whispering apologies into his ear as a few stray tears fell down his face. When the Finnish man pulled back, the Swedish man wiped away the small boy's tears with a small white cloth.

"Don't cry." He said. "I'm sure you'll see them again soon."

X-x-X

"Ve, I'm sorry _fratello_! But he's a really nice guy! He said he never wanted to be a pirate, he was forced to join! And he's very sweet, and tough, he can protect me when you're not there, if need be! Please _fratello_, don't hate him!"

"I don't care if he's a nice guy! Until I see him for myself, there's no way I can trust him! Especially since he's the son of the Captain! For all you know, he could be using you!"

"Ludwig would never do that!"

"You've known him for _two fucking days_!"

"_Fratello_!"

"I don't approve of this, Feli. He could be a murderer, or a rapist, or who the fuck knows!"

"But he's not-"

"Enough, Feliciano. Stop."

The two fell into a rather stony silence for a while, until finally Lovino noticed something else that he hadn't before.

Lovino turned to face his brother. "'Him'?"

Feliciano froze, eyes wide. "Oh...oops."

The elder Italian sighed. "You've fucked up big time, haven't you? Well it's not like I can yell at you for falling in love with a man - that'd be kind of hypocritical of me, wouldn't it?"

The younger's face became happy and hopeful. "Ve, so you love a man too?"

"Maybe, but don't think that just because I don't care if he's a man, means that I approve of the relationship. He's still the enemy!"

Feli sighed. "I don't suppose I'll ever be able to persuade you otherwise. _Buonanotte, fratello_. Sweet dreams of sexy Spaniards~" With that, he giggled and ran off, leaving his brother staring after him in surprise. _Is it that obvious?__  
_

Lovino shook his head, ridding himself of the thought. "Goddamn that _idiota_." Despite these words, he wore a small smile on his face.

X-x-X

They soon arrived at the small port town. It was a quiet, quaint town with mainly elder residents and a large market for fishing. The warm weather made the town a popular location for flower gardens and vegetable patches alike. The streets were paved with cobblestones, and most buildings were built of a white stone, so as to repel the sun's strong heat.

Stepping off the landing plank, the crew split off into small groups and set off to venture around the town. Antonio, Lovino, Feliciano and Francis decided to stick together and aimlessly wander the streets.

As they walked, they made silly little jokes and basically enjoyed themselves, feeling free to do what they liked without having to worry too much. Of course, all of this had to come to an end when Antonio spotted a familiar head of silver in the distance, chatting animatedly to an exasperated-looking head of blonde.

Finally, he realised who the albino man really was. He knew he had recognised him, but he hadn't expected it to be _him_.

_"Oi, Toni! The awesome me is here!"_

_"Toni, why is life so unawesomely boring around here?"_

_"I'm sorry Toni, but my family and I are leaving."_

_"I'll never see you again."_

_"_Auf Wiedersehen_."_

Happiness suddenly turning to rage, Antonio broke away from his confused group of friends and strode over to the man who had killed one of his best friends. He tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to turn around and for his gleaming red eyes to widen in surprise.

"T-Toni?"

"Hola, Gilbert."

X-x-X

* * *

**Translations:**

_Ciao _- Hello/bye (Italian)_  
Fratello_ - brother (Italian)  
_Schwarzwasser_- Blackwater (German)  
_Pomodoro_ - Tomato (Italian)  
_Buonanotte_ - Goodnight (Italian)  
_Idiota_ - Idiot (Italian)  
_Auf Wiedersehen_ - Goodbye (German)

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Ooh, Lovi ain't too happy here. Oh yeah, and a cliffie for you guys, since I love ya'll so much~

**Thank you to:** pasta-pizza-Hetalia and Anime-yaoi for following **and** favouriting!

**Responses to Reviews:**

**Epic F. Awesomesauce:** (Ch. 7) It's fine~  
(Ch. 8) Nah, his death wasn't really all that...eh...thingyby. Maybe because he was quite a minor character?  
(Ch. 9) *hands tissues*  
(Ch. 10) He wasn't in a good way.  
(Ch. 11) *hugs and gives more tissues*  
(Ch. 12) xD (too busy laughing to think of a good reply)  
Thank you for your reviews~!

**Black Kaitou:** Thank you! I'm glad the fight part was okay, I wasn't sure when I was writing it... Since Antonio's pretty experienced with an axe, I think the battle would have been pretty evenly matched. He just kinda knew how to take Sadiq by surprise, I suppose. (That is actually really interesting information that I did not know before writing this by the way). Thanks for the review!

Wow guys, 44 reviews? 21 favourites?! 31 followers?! Thank you all so much! I never thought my story would get so much of a response!

Should I do like a prize or something for the 50th review?

See ya next time~

~Random ( = ¬ = )7


	14. Confrontation

**Chapter 14: Confrontation**

"Hola, Gilbert." The greeting was less than friendly.

"Toni!" Gilbert exclaimed before attempting to tackle hug his old friend, who pushed the Prussian away. Gilbert's face turned from delighted surprise to confusion. "Toni? What's up?"

"'What's up?' Why don't you tell me!" Antonio growled, his anger rising.

Gilbert wore a surprised and confused expression. "What? What's happened?"

The Spaniard scoffed. "You should damn well know, considering you were a part of it!"

"Is it because I was away for so long, or-"

"Do you think I fucking care how damn long you were away for!"

Gilbert stepped back slightly in surprise. The rest of the group who had been with Toni caught up with the Spaniard, all confused and worried as to what was going on. With the language that Antonio had just used, a few of them were wondering if he'd channelled Lovino's spirit animal or something. Due to the confusion, none of them noticed as a certain small Italian slipped away with a tall blonde.

The argument continued.

"Well-"

"No! Don't talk! What words should be heard when they come from the mouth of a murderer!" His voice was bitter as he spat the words at the one who had once been his best friend.

"W-what? Toni-"

"Don't act all surprised! I was there! I saw you kill him! Ran him through with a fucking sword and ran without a word!"

"What the-"

"You didn't even care! You killed him, and ran off to kill even more people! You killed one of my best fucking friends!, Gilbert!"

Gilbert stopped, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. His eyebrows drooped and his eyes were filled with remorse. "Mein Gott Toni, I didn't know-"

"Well obviously you didn't fucking know, but you didn't fucking have to fucking kill him! It's not like he ever did anything to you!"

"Well don't act so innocent yourself!" Gil suddenly yelled back, taking the Spaniard aback. "I saw you the next day, cutting down man by man from my ship! You didn't spare them an ounce of mercy! You should consider yourself lucky I haven't killed you for almost killing a girl on the second day! A _girl_, Toni!"

Toni faltered, confused. "What? I didn't fight a girl."

"Yes, yes you did! Green eyes, brown hair tied back in a ponytail? Looks a bit like a guy, we all thought she was one for a while."

It took a moment of thought before Antonio remembered. "Wait, that was a girl?"

"Yes, she is! Elizabeta Hedervary, the girl you almost killed!"

"I didn't kill her though!"

"But you attacked her!"

"She attacked me first! Plus, I didn't even know she was a girl until you just told me!"

"Well maybe you should've paid more attention!"

"Maybe _you_ shouldn't have killed my best friend!"

"Maybe _you_-"

"Maybe the both of you should stop arguing and look at yourselves." Francis abruptly cut into the argument, as though he were used to this sort of thing. "_Mes amis_, do you really need to fight over something from the past? This is a good day! The reunion of the famous Bad Touch Trio! We should be celebrating, not fighting!"

Antonio and Gilbert looked down at the pavement below them, feeling wholly ashamed of themselves.

"Now, apologise to each other."

"_Lo siento, _Gil."

"_Es tut mir leid, _Toni."

"_Bien! _Now, long time no see, Gilbert!"

And so, the Bad Touch Trio were reunited once more.

X-x-X

Somehow, Tino and Berwald were able to smuggle Peter off the ship without their Captain noticing. Peter was happy to feel the sun's warmth on his face again as they mulled around the markets, one had in Berwald's right, the other in Tino's left. The three males were having a good time.

Then they heard it.

"Peter?!"

The three turned around to see a taller, older version of Peter with messier hair and green eyes, flanked by a taller red-headed man and a brown-haired man of the same height. The men's eyes were wide with shock and amazement.

Peter launched forward, releasing the Nordics' hands and running straight into the outstretched arms of his brothers. Tears fell and smiles were worn as the Kirklands were reunited.

After they finished hugging, the red-head made his way to Tino and Berwald, an accusing glare on his face. "Were you the ones who kidnapped our wee brother?"

Tino nodded. "Yes, but not for our own gain. Our Captain ordered us to, or else..." he briefly explained Berwald's predicament.

Iain nodded in understanding. "I see. And you looked after him while he was on your ship?"

"To the best of our ability."

"Well, thank you. At least now we can rest easy, knowing he's safe again. Thank you for not...you know..."

Tino smiled, and even Berwald's lips curled up ever so slightly. "It was no problem. He's a lovely boy."

Peter ran back over to the blonde pair, dragging his brothers with him. "Tino! Berwald! These are my brothers!"

"So we've heard." Tino chuckled. "You're finally back with your family."

Peter's grin fell. "Wait, will I see you again?"

"We don't know."

"C-can I write to you then?! And if I give you our address, you can visit!"

Berwald smiled slightly. He knelt to Peter's height and ruffled the boy's hair. "Of course you can. And we'll see about those visits."

Peter's face lit up. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" He hugged the tall man, who stiffened for a moment before gently returning the embrace.

After a few farewells, the Nordic men left the Kirklands, allowing the Brits to celebrate their reunification.

X-x-X

While this was all happening, Feliciano and Ludwig (who had been present with Gil, his older brother, at the time) were able to sneak off from the (still ongoing) argument to talk again.

"Wow, they're so loud!" Feli said, worried over the argument. "I hope everything turns out alright for them."

"I'm sure it will." Ludwig assured. "Usually their arguments don't last _too _long."

"Usually?"

"They were the best of friends as children - almost inseparable. They caused a lot of mayhem though, so they were called the Bad Touch Trio."

"Ah, I see."

"So, how have you been?"

"I've been alright, I suppose. Could've been better."

Ludwig nodded. "Yeah, I mean, with all the death and..." he trailed off.

Feli shrugged. "Mhm. _Nonno_'s death caused a lot of...pandemonium, I suppose. And then there's that," he gestured towards the ongoing argument, "which hasn't really lightened the atmosphere too much, but everything else has been alright. What about you?"

"It's been...eventful. Turns out that _Opa_ had a rare heart condition. Had a heart attack not long after your grandfather's death."

"Oh no! Is he alright?"

"I suppose you could say...he's happy now. Probably with your grandfather."

"Oh...I'm sorry for your loss." The Italian's voice was hushed as he said this.

"Well, he was a bit worked up after your grandfather's stunt. Apparently he had really liked him for a while..."

"Mhm..." Feli agreed, letting the conversation fall into silence. After a minute or so of this, Ludwig spoke up.

"You know something, Feli? Everyone around me seems to be getting their happy endings now. I mean, _Opa_ got his, with your grandfather, Gil has finally realised that he likes the Hungarian girl... They all just seem so happy. I just wonder..."

"...if you'll ever get yours?" Feli finished the sentence for him. "I'm sure you will, Luddy. After all, every story has its happy endings - If the ending isn't happy, then it isn't the end."

Steely blue eyes, wide with slight amazement at the slightly impressive comment, met amber brown eyes, glistening with anticipation. The two pirates closed their eyes, leaning closer together until they could feel the other's breath on their faces-

_"Stupefy!"_

X-x-X

* * *

**Translations:**

_Lo siento_ - I'm sorry (Spanish)  
_Es tut mir_ _leid_ - I'm sorry (German)  
_Bien_ - Good (French)  
_Nonno_ - Grandfather (Italian)  
_Opa_ - Grandfather (German)

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Hehehehe...

10 brownie points if you guess who said the last word and what it means~

And yeah, I love cliffhangers (unless I'm the one reading them rather than writing them...)

**Thank you to:** 24gamefreak, IcyIce5421, SapphyreMist and LaniKat84 for following!

**Thank you to:** Katie-Kat1129, 24gamefreak, SapphyreMyst and LaniKat84 for favouriting!

**Responses to Reviews:**

**Epic F. Awesomesauce:** Yeah, sorry... I suppose you'd just have to check the reviews page or something. Hehe~

So yeah, thank you all again!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

On another note, who else watched Eurovision last night? I loved it, and I think Denmark were very good and deserved to win (although I really did love Romania~)

And we didn't come last! We even did better than France! *partying*

Okay, I'll stop now.

~Random ( = ¬ = )7

**Edit (21/5/13):** Changed 'Scandinavian' to 'Nordic' as per request.


	15. Lost

**Disclaimer: I have not owned hetalia over the span of the last two chapters (I forgot the disclaimer last chapter) and I probably still won't own it at the end of the story.**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Lost**

Once their argument had ended, everything went back to normal for the band of pirates. The trio - plus a bored Lovino - wandered aimlessly around the markets as they shared stories of their time apart from one another. Currently, Gilbert was telling the story of why he had to leave, mostly for Antonio's benefit.

"_Vati_ didn't want to be in the military any more, and _Opa_ was getting old and wanted to travel and shit. So they bought a boat and became pirates. _Mutti,_ as you guys know, died when I was a kid, so me and Lud were dragged along because there was nowhere else for us to go."

"You could have stayed at the castle with us." Antonio suggested, but Gilbert waved it off.

"Too much of a kindness. You know what I'm like - it'd only bother you guys. Same to Franny's family.

"So yeah, we became pirates. At first we were kinda like you guys - not too bloodthirsty, pretty docile. Then we were raided by another big ship at the time, the _Empire_. We were pretty badly damaged; had to get a new ship, the old one was so fucked up. But that wad around the time where _Opa_ began to change. Our piracy turned from one end of the scale to the other. We didn't hold back on pillaging towns and villages, or killing the innocent people in them. Our captives were treated like shit, sometimes making them kill themselves because they knew there was no other way they'd ever get away from us. We were horrible.

"Then the _Pomodoro_ comes along. At first we pretty much avoided each other, but that ended too. We attacked first, and you guys came out pretty badly, right?"

Francis and Lovino nodded. "The ship wasn't too badly damaged, but we did lose a lot of men that night."

"Well, after that, we became enemies. Whenever our ships came near each other, it was time for another battle. It was stupid, really.

"But after that last fight, where your Captain was killed...something changed. _Opa_ wasn't so energetic any more. He'd give orders and stuff, but we knew he was getting weaker. Eventually, it got so bad that he had to be made bedridden. He was ill for a few days, then died one night of a heart attack."

Gilbert's companions giving him pitying looks, mumbling apologies for the loss.

"But now _Vati_ is our Captain, and it's not too bad. He's trying to carry on _Opa_'s legacy, but he's still in shock, I think. He has been a little softer on us lately, right Lud?"

Silence.

The four men looked around them, but the tall blonde was nowhere to be seen.

Gilbert's brows furrowed. "Lud..."

"Feli's not here either..." Lovino noticed, thinking hard about what may have happened. Then it all clicked. In a rage, the Italian turned to Gilbert and grabbed him by the collar, surprising the albino.

"What the hell?!"

"This 'Lud'..." Lovino growled. "What is his full name?"

"L-Ludwig! Ludwig Beilschmidt! Now let go of me!"

Lovino let go of Gilbert, who massaged his neck as he glared at the angry Italian. Said Italian cracked his fingers before storming off, declaring that he was going to "find that bastard kidnapper and slit his throat".

The Bad Touch Trio followed after, confused by Lovino's sudden change in attitude. Antonio caught up to him and caught him by the sleeve. "Lovi, what's going on?"

Lovino pulled his arm out of Antonio's grasp. "That bastard little brother of his has obviously kidnapped my _fratellino_! No matter how many times I tried to warn him, he just goes off with him anyway..."

Gilbert frowned. "Kidnap? No way, Lud would never do that. The only time he'd even hurt a fly is if they threatened someone he cared about. It has to be something else."

"Oh really? Well of course, you'd stick up for him, you are brothers after all! Maybe you're in on it too!" Lovino yelled.

"_Was_?! In on what?! There is nothing to be 'in on'! _Mein Bruder ist nicht ein Entführer!_"

"Guys!" Francis and Toni yelled together, shutting up the argument. "Stop it, what's the point it arguing? It's not going to help you find your brothers, now is it?"

Still scowling, the two pirates agreed before the four set off to search for Ludwig and Feli.

X-x-X

_"Stupefy!"_

The small Italian suddenly fell forward, struck unconscious by the red beam of light that had hit him. Ludwig caught him, startled and worried about his companion. He stood the man against the wall, checking his pulse and breathing status - both seemed relatively normal.

"You should know by now that relationships with men from another ship are forbidden, Ludwig." A monotonous voice spoke, causing the German to turn to face the speaker. He was a man with light blonde hair, a section to the left of his face having been pinned back by a silver cross while the rest of the fringe fell towards the right. His ice-filled eyes betrayed no emotion as he stood, a long, thin piece of wood in his right hand, the tip glowing faintly. "And with one of the same gender, no less. Oh, what will Captain Ardich think about this."

"You're one to talk, Lukas." Ludwig growled back, "I've seen you and that Dane around."

The man, Lukas, raised an eyebrow. "Well, at least _he_ isn't from the rival ship."

"What have you done to him?"

"Don't worry, he's completely fine, just unconscious." Lukas answered as he twirled the wand in his hands. "That was just a weaker stunner spell. Imagine if I had used the nonverbal*..."

"Why are you doing this, Lukas?"

"You know it's against the rules to have relations with other ship members. I'm simply making sure you stick to the rules."

"And what makes you think you making him unconscious will make me adhere to your messed up rules?"

"Well, maybe it's this." The Norwegian pointed his wand at the Italian and muttered a few incoherent words, causing a faint stream of white to be removed from his head and replaced inside Lukas'. "Or possibly this." He then pointed the wand at the German and whispered, _"Obliviate."_

That was the last thing Ludwig remembered seeing.

X-x-X

* * *

**Translations:**

_Vati_ - Dad (German)  
_Opa_ - Granddad (German)  
_Mutti_ - Mum (German)  
_Pomodoro_ - Tomato (Italian)  
_Fratellino_ - Little brother (Italian)  
_Mein Bruder ist nicht ein Entführer!_ - My brother is not a kidnapper! (German)

* * *

**Note:**

Nonverbal spell: a spell which is performed without saying the incantation out loud. Its more difficult to cast than a regular spell, in most cases. I think that the nonverbal spell would be more powerful than an ordinary spell because of this.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** You guys seem to forget that everything happening last chapter was all happening at the same time. Therefore, it could not have been ANY of the Kirklands casting the spell. Then, you would think, "well who else uses magic?" There's Romania, and there's Norway. I chose Norway, since he fits the role in this part.

So yeah! What has happened to poor Luddy? Will the BTT + Lovi ever find them? I wanna know your thoughts, guys.

**Thank you to:** WaterPrincess17, AnimeFANforeverMORE, and Five Until Class for following!

**Thank you to:** Mafiusu for favouriting!

**Responses to Reviews:**

**Epic F. Awesomesauce:** I'd say it's a short Harry Potter cameo appearance, but yeah, I basically put Harry Potter in and yeah. I don't even know.

**Katie-Kat1129:** As I said before, whilst the Kirklands are wizards and use magic, they were busy at the time... And technically _stupefy_ is a charm, but oh well. Sorry. Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far :3

**AnimeFANforeverMORE:** Thank you! I'm glad you liked it~ Yeah, I liked Finland's song, it was catchy. Bit disappointing that they didn't do better, but eh, political voting. (I didn't really like Britain's performance this year though... She didn't do all that well live. Last year's was better in my opinion, but we came second-last then so who am I to judge.)

**Five Until Class:** Wow, thank you! Yeah, I kinda went through a stage where it just hit a low point, and stuff - both the story and reality. I do try~ Thank you. Okay, first, I am sorry for getting that wrong! "OTL. I actually didn't know that Finland isn't part of Scandinavia, so that's interesting to hear! Don't worry, I've changed it now :3 And yeah, that'll be revealed soon. It's kinda a part of the plot, and I think Antonio's actually forgotten that he is the prince, so he's gonna have to figure that out soon. Thanks for the review!  
And fine, I couldn't think of a good spell name so I fell back on Harry Potter. _But at least it's not Arthur-_

**A Person:** First of all, congrats on getting the 50th review! :D If you want a prize ask, if you like~ Anyhoo, onto the reply:  
(Ch. 12) Hehe xD Yeah, it was kinda obvious...  
(Ch. 13) xD And yep, it was the confrontation. Should've been fun~ (thank you~ :3)  
(Ch. 14) Eh, I could've made it worse - they could've fought or something. But ports are neutral ground, so... (okay, only for the most part, but still). Ah, don't worry. Still lots of drama to come!  
Thank you for the reviews!

Thank you all again and I do hope you enjoyed the chapter! If I'm telling the truth, the first bit of the chapter wasn't even supposed to be there xD I just added it in to kinda...fill out the chapter, I suppose? I think I wanted to put off putting up the next bit, which is one of my personal favourites...

Ciao!

~Random ( = ¬ = )7


	16. Found

**Disclaimer: No.**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Found**

It had been about half an hour since Lovino and company had noticed the absence of two of the group's younger brothers. They had been searching for the pair ever since.

It had also been about 25 minutes since Lukas had fled the scene of his crime, using magic to transport Ludwig back to the ship.

Running around the streets, Antonio peered around a corner close to where they had met Gilbert. He stared into the dark of the alleyway and noticed a small shuffle of movement, followed by what sounded like a human groaning. Antonio called the group over and rushed to Feliciano's side, kneeling down beside the younger Italian. Lovino, Francis and Gilbert caught up soon after, breaths heaving after so much running. Francis and Gilbert declared that they were going to find the Kirklands - so they could check on Feliciano - before rushing off once more. Lovino remained by the corner of the wall, watching the actions of the Spaniard.

"Feli, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" Antonio asked worriedly.

Feli blinked up tiredly at him. "No, I'm fine...my head hurts though..."

"What happened?"

"All I remember is a red burst of light..."

"Is that all?"

"_Si_...ah, sorry _signore_, but who are you? And where am I?"

Lovino and Antonio simply froze in their places, surprised by this. "Feli, it's me, Antonio. You're in Cyprus, remember?"

"Cyprus?" Feliciano repeated disbelievingly. "Wow, that's so far from home..." He then tilted his head to look over the Spaniard's shoulder at the man by the corner. "Who's that?"

Antonio gasped. Lovino was shell-shocked. He paled quickly. His own brother, one of the only people he was close to, had completely forgotten him. Lovino fell to his knees, staring forward blankly. Antonio glanced back in worry at the elder Vargas before turning back to Feliciano, a determination rising within him. "Feliciano, this is Lovino, Lovino Vargas. I'll tell you a bit about him, and we'll see if you can remember him, okay?

"Lovino Vargas, more commonly known as Romano, is the First Mate on the pirate ship, the _Pomodoro_, and your older brother. You probably can't see him very well, can you? He looks like you but older and a little taller and darker and no offence but a little better too. He's...stubborn and potty-mouthed. He can be strict and rude and quite mean sometimes, but he's really just shy and introverted and he really does care and he's self-conscious and he's sarcastic and hilarious as hell when he wants to be and he can be so kind and considerate if he's in the right mood and he can be cocky and lazy but so cute and sweet and his favourite colour is red and his birthday is March 17th - the same day as yours - and he can play a little bit of guitar and he's an excellent singer and dancer and he loves tomatoes and I love him-" He stopped, eyes wide and right hand in front of his mouth at the last three words, as if he had only just realised this.

Lovino's breath caught in his throat and his head shot up to stare at Antonio in shock. _He what?!_

"I...love...him..." Antonio said slowly, repeating it as if to get the fact drilled into his head. "I...love him. I love Lovino Vargas."

Lovino rose slowly from the ground. "Is it true?"

Antonio's head whipped around, and he remembered that the man in question had been standing behind him the whole time. Both of their faces had a light red flush rising to the cheeks. "L-Lovino..."

"What you said, is it true? Do you really..."

There was a moment of silence before he answered. "_...Si_, Lovi. _Te quiero._"

A bout of confidence suddenly rushing through him, the older Italian strode over to the Spaniard and pulled him up from the ground by the collar of his shirt, yanking his face close to his own. "Good because I have waited for so fucking long to do this."

Lovino leaned up and connected their lips in a fiery kiss, Antonio soon melting into the younger pirate's mouth. They deepened the kiss, completely unaware of the surroundings around them; of how good Arthur and James' timing was as they rushed to help the forgotten Italian; of how Gilbert cheered and Francis wolf-whistled at them. All that mattered was each other, as they continued to kiss passionately, as if they'd never get another chance. When they finally parted for breath, it was to the sight of a smile on each face.

"_Te quiero, _Lovino."

_"Anche io ti amo, _Antonio._"_

Suddenly, they remembered their situation and untangled themselves before kneeling back down beside the thoroughly confused Feliciano, who was being checked over by Arthur and James. (Iain had stayed behind with Peter, so he wasn't present at the time.)

"How is he?" Lovino asked nervously.

"He's fine. He had a spell cast on him - a simple memory charm." Arthur answered knowledgeably. "Obviously it was cast on purpose, causing him to forget certain memories of certain events and objects - apparently including quite a few people."

"So that means..."

"Magic is the cause of this, but don't worry. We'll get his memories back soon, though he'll be unconscious again for about an hour."

"He hasn't got a concussion." James piped up.

Arthur nodded and turned back to Feli. "I'm going to use a little bit of magic on you now, okay? Don't worry, it won't hurt." Arthur put his index fingers to Feli's temples and closed his eyes. His fingers began to glow, transferring the glow to Feli's forehead. The Italian closed his eyes and gave a small sigh before falling limp, breathing deeply as he slept.

X-x-X

Gilbert strode purposefully through the crowds, ignoring his surroundings and focusing only on his destination. After finding Feli, the self-proclaimed "Prussian" decided to check his ship to see if his younger brother had went back there. This is why after about five minutes of walking, Gilbert found himself boarding the _Schwarzwasser_ once more.

He waved to a few people as he passed them on his way downstairs. The floorboards creaked with each step. Soon, he found himself in front of the door to his and his brother's shared bedroom. He slowly opened the door, peeking his head inside.

In his too-small bed in the corner lay a sleeping Ludwig, usually slicked-back hair falling onto his pale forehead. His breathing was deep and his face calm as he slumbered. Gilbert made his way over to his younger brother, noticing that the man was still wearing his clothes from earlier. Gilbert smiled at the sight.

The sound of the door opening was brought to Gilbert's attention. He turned to face the incomer.

"Oh, Lukas." Gilbert greeted. "What are you doing here?"

The Norwegian shrugged. "I heard Ludwig was ill and decided to check on him." As the ship's Surgeon, his excuse was a viable one.

"I see. Do you know what's up with him?"

Lukas strode over to Ludwig's bedside and pulled out a thermometer. "I can't be sure until I check."

The Norwegian checked every vital sign and soon came to a conclusion. "His pulse is normal, his breathing is fine and his temperature is average. However, I can detect a presence of magic residue on his body."

Gilbert was baffled. "Magic what?"

"Residue. It's what's left over when someone has a spell or curse cast on them."

"So..."

"He's probably been attacked by some form of magic and transported back here."

A rage burned at Gilbert. "Who the hell did this?! Just wait 'till I get my hands on them!"

"Gilbert, calm down. I'll be able to help him, but only when he wakes up. Until then, I won't know what the exact damage is."

The albino scowled and stormed over to his bed, falling down and curling up in the corner. "You can leave now."

Lukas nodded and vacated the room, but not before saying, "Oh yes, and I'm sure I saw somebody with very thick eyebrows here earlier. Might want to get that investigated."

X-x-X

* * *

**Translations:**

_Si_ - Yes (Italian/Spanish)  
_Signore_ - Sir (Italian)  
_Pomodoro_ - Tomato (Italian)  
_Te quiero_ - I love you (Spanish) [literally "I want you" - they use this in Spain, whilst _te amo_ is used more in South America.]  
_Anche io ti amo_ - I love you too (Italian)  
_Schwarzwasser_ - Blackwater (German)

* * *

**Author's Notes:** It finally happened! They finally got together!

But what shall happen to Ludwig? And will Feli be okay?

I know, and you shall know on Wednesday.

Maybe.

**Thank you to:** Sake's Soul Melody and Mighty Agamemnon for following!

**Thank you to:** WaltzingMatildaalldaylong and Sake's Soul Melody for favouriting!

**Responses to Reviews:**

**Epic F. Awesomesauce: **Hehehe...

**Black Kaitou:** Thanks~ I just felt that Lovi would react this way if something happened to some of the only family he had left. I don't see Lukas as an antagonist much, so yeah, he's a jerk now. Hope you enjoyed the chapter :3

**Sake's Soul Melody:** *nods in agreement* Memory loss is a sad thing. Yup, they're together now so they'll prolly be much happier now. I updated! :D Thanks for the review~

**Mighty Agamemnon:** Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it :3 Even if you're royalty, you always deserve a little action in your life! And yush, we love the BTT! :D

**A Person:** Well, he does hate Ludwig. He's really quite protective over his little brother so since Ludwig is a pirate from the rival ship... let's just say he doesn't exactly trust him. Eh, hopefully the planned story won't be _too_ terrible~ Thanks! Glad you liked it :3  
(Hehe~ Eh, I'm not the best at thinking of surprises, but I'll try!)

Eh, maybe this chapter wasn't the best. Oh well, hope you guys liked it!

See you on Wednesday.

~Random ( = ¬ = )7


	17. Conscious

**Disclaimer: Is there even a point in me putting a disclaimer? I think you all know I don't own Hetalia.**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Conscious**

After Feliciano was unconscious again, Antonio slung the Italian over his shoulder, with an apologetic look to Lovino. They then set off to find a hotel with a comfortable bed so the Italian could rest in the town and it wouldn't take quite so long for them to get food, water, or medical supplies. They chose a small Bed and Breakfast near the town's centre. The hotel was reasonably cheap and clean, with whitewashed walls and a small flower garden in the back. Their room was also small, but it would do, as all they needed it for was to keep the unconscious Italian comfortable. Antonio lay him down on the small bed before dragging over two wooden chairs which had been sitting at a desk at the back of the room facing a window. He placed down the chairs and let Lovino take the one closest to Feliciano before sitting down alongside his lover, their hands intertwined.

"How did you even know that anyways? About my singing?" Lovino asked, glancing up into fields of forest green.

"You sing in the bath sometimes." The ship had a small room with a cast iron tub, inside which one would pour boiling water and wait for it to cool a little before jumping in for a quick bath. It was rather refreshing to have a nice bath every once in a while, especially with the sweat and sea salt that one could acquire whilst working. "You're very good."

Lovino blushed a little. "I doubt that. I may sing in the bath but it's hardly good. Also, I'm apparently an 'excellent dancer', eh?"

Antonio smiled. "Remember that one night where Iain was playing the pipes and just about everyone was dancing? Yeah, I saw you with Feli. You are an excellent dancer, _mi querido_."

"Hmm..." Lovino hummed. "But seriously, did you really need to add the whole, 'stubborn, rude, potty-mouthed' thing? I was standing right there, you know."

"Ah, _lo siento_, _mi tomate_. I couldn't exactly leave it out though, it's a part of you and I was trying to describe _every_ part of you."

"Well, you did a good job." Lovino smiled. "You know, when we made that deal so long ago, I never thought you'd ever get your part done. Guess I was wrong."

"Hm? What do you mean, Lovi?"

"You found out who I am. You answered your question."

"What? What question?"

"You have completed your part of the deal."

X-x-X

After Lukas left, Gilbert moved back to his younger brother's bedside. His mind, however, was not on the state of Ludwig - it was focused on Lukas' words to him.

_What did he mean by 'somebody with very thick eyebrows'?_ Gilbert pondered. _The only people I know who are anything like that are..._ Gilbert froze. _The Kirklands?_

No, the Kirklands couldn't have...or maybe... Gilbert knew they could use magic. It could easily have been any of them...well, maybe not James. The Welshman looked too mild-mannered to do something so cruel. Iain, perhaps? No, he didn't look like the type to hold a grudge for too long. Peter was out of the question, since he was only a child. Which left...

"Arthur Kirkland..." the Prussian muttered to himself.

Yes, Gilbert could see the Englishman holding a grudge like this. Perhaps something had happened during the battle against the _Pomodoro_, something so huge that Arthur could just not let it go. Could it have been revenge for the kidnapping of his younger brother? It was a possibility. Plus, Arthur did seem very skilled in the magical arts...

Gilbert was pulled out of his reverie by a slight shuffling noise. He switched his gaze from the blank wall to Ludwig, who was slowly opening his eyes. Gilbert grinned, happy that his younger brother was awake. "Hey, _Bruder_. How ya feeling?"

Ludwig's eyebrows were furrowed, as if there was a pain in his head. "Gilbert... What happened to me?"

"I was actually hoping you'd be able to tell me." Gilbert grimaced. "What's the last thing you remember happening?"

"Uh...I...was on the ship..."

"_Ja_?"

"And...we saw the _Pomodoro_. _Opa_ said something about it being an important battle..."

All hope that was previously harboured by Gilbert crashed to the ground. The last thing that Ludwig remembered had been _months_ ago! "Ludwig, that happened like, three months ago."

"_Was?_" Ludwig sked, stunned. "Then why... I can't remember anything else..."

Gilbert stood abruptly, a rage of emotions flitting through him. "I'll be back soon. Don't go anywhere." With that, the elder Beilschmidt exited the room, leaving behind a thoroughly confused Ludwig.

X-x-X

_Back with Antonio and Lovino..._

Antonio merely sat in silence as he recalled the deal that had been made so long before.

"Oh. Wait, does that mean-"

"That you'll have to go back home? Well, yes, I do have to keep up my end of the deal here."

Silence reigned for a few moments once more before Antonio exclaimed, "But- but- I don't want to! I want to stay with you, Lovi!"

Lovino gave him a sad smile. "Well, you'll still have to go home. Your family miss you, and you've got a country to rule."

"But..." Antonio trailed off. He understood Lovino's point - he hadn't seen his family in around six months, possibly more. They'd probably be worried sick about him.

"We'll still see each other, Toni." Lovino broke into Antonio's thoughts. "I wouldn't just leave you, especially not now."

"Hm..."

"Ve..._fratello_?" A small voice came from the direction of the bed, causing Lovino and Antonio to stop and stare at the stirring boy. "Are you two arguing again...?"

Lovino leaned forward to give his younger brother a hug. "_Grazie, fratellino_."

Antonio smiled, knowing why he was doing this - Feliciano had recognised Lovi as his brother, therefore meaning that he remembered him. The Spaniard couldn't blame him for being happy.

Feliciano, however, was just confused. "Ve? What did I do? Did something happen?"

Lovino let go of Feliciano. "What do you remember happening, Feli?"

The younger Italian thought for a moment before saying. "There was a bright red light, and then it was all black."

"I meant before you passed out."

"Oh...oh yeah! Lovi, me and Luddy, we-!" He stopped himself suddenly, a worried look growing on his face. "Oh my god, Luddy! Is he okay? What happened to him? He's not hurt is he? Is he-"

"Feli!" Lovino interrupted. "This 'Luddy' - I'm guessing he's..."

"Ludwig Beilschmidt, the guy from the _Schwarzwasser_." Feliciano answered.

"Gilbert's younger brother?" Antonio asked.

"_Si_! He was with Gilbert when you two started arguing, so we just slipped away to talk for a few minutes, and..."

"What did he do to you?!" Lovino growled. "I swear, if I ever get my hands on him-"

"No, Lovi, he didn't do anything! All that happened was we talked for a bit and then we almost kissed but then I went unconscious!" Feli said rapidly.

"You almost _what_?!"

"Oh yeah, that's what I wanted to tell you! We almost kissed!" Feli chirped. "That means he likes me, right?"

Lovino sat in silence for a moment before standing up and walking to the door. After opening it, he yelled down the hall, "Arthur! James! Get in here now, bastards!" He then returned to his seat beside Feli. He didn't want to argue with his _fratello_, not after everything he'd been through today.

Before either Feliciano or Antonio could ask anything, the two British pirates entered the room. "Ah, so he's awake?" Arthur asked as James went to check Feli's vital signs.

"Don't worry, Feliciano. I'm just checking to make sure you're alright - medically, that is."

Lovino turned to Arthur. "About that memory charm..."

"Ah yes. It was just a weak charm, but it did make him forget a few things it shouldn't have, such as certain people and certain events. He has regained everything now though, or at least he should have."

"Yes, okay. I'm just wondering here, but if Feliciano was with someone else at the time and they were not the one to cast the charm, how likely is it that this person has also had the memory charm cast on them?"

"Incredibly likely. I would be surprised if it wasn't." Arthur replied gravely. "What would the point be in making one person forget what happened? The other could easily tell him what happened later on then, so that plan would backfire. I wouldn't be surprised if this other person has forgotten everything that happened today."

"Ve?!" Feli exclaimed. "Does that mean he forgot..."

"I'm sorry Feliciano." Arthur apologised. "I doubt he'll remember what happened."

"The good news is, you're all clear with no sign of anything serious." James concluded, tucking away his stethoscope. "Just rest easy for a while, okay? Don't do anything too exerting."

Feli nodded sadly.

Suddenly, the door burst open and in came Francis. "Captain, First Mate! We have an emergency!"

"What happened?" said Antonio in a serious tone as both he and his lover stood from their seats.

"The _Pomodoro_ - it's been set alight!"

X-x-X

* * *

**Translations:**

_Mi querido_ - My dear/my love (Spanish)  
_Lo siento_ - I'm sorry (Spanish)  
_Mi tomate_ - My tomato (Spanish)  
_Pomodoro_ - Tomato (Italian)  
_Bruder_ - Brother (German)  
_Ja_ - Yes (German)  
_Opa_ - Grandfather (German)  
_Was_ - What (German)  
_Fratello/fratellino_ - Brother/little brother (Italian)  
_Grazie_ - Thank you  
_Schwarzwasser_ - Blackwater (German)  
_Si _- Yes (Italian/Spanish)

* * *

**Author's Notes:** This chapter originally did not have that bit with Gil, so it is now longer. Hoorah!

I honestly did not plan a lot of this happening when I first wrote this, but oh well. It's more interesting now...

**Thank you to:** Dogsrule for favouriting! _(How?!)_

**Responses to Reviews:**

**A Person: **Ah, you figured out my plan. Damn. Yeah, there is a lot of blaming and running. It shall be resolved with time, though. Thanks for the review!

**Epic F. Awesomesauce:** I actually don't know how to reply to this, so I'll just thank you and leave it at that.

**Mighty Agamemnon: **Hehe, thanks! Glad you enjoyed it :3 Definitely! Thanks again~

**Charcoal246:** Well ya got it! :D (I like dragging stuff out~)

**Sake's Soul Melody:** Of course, I always reply to reviews! :D Aw, naw, no-one's as awesome as the Great Prussia! Thank you :3

So yeah. I'm uploading this in English class so whatever.

Hope you enjoyed! See you next time!

~Random ( = ¬ = )7


	18. The Fall of the Pomodoro

**Disclaimer: I don't ooooooooown, and I can't preteeeeeeeeeend I doooooo. (I have Les Mis songs in my head)**

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**Chapter 18: The Fall of the Pomodoro**

"The _Pomodoro_ has been set alight!"

"What?!" Antonio, Lovino and Arthur yelled back in shocked unison.

"Just follow me!" Francis urged.

The three who had shouted followed Francis to the ports, leaving James to care for Feliciano. The group rushed towards the ports, panting heavily as they ran. Even before they reached the ports they could see how bad the situation really was; thick clouds of black smoke rose into blue skies, causing many people to wonder what was going on - if they hadn't already seen, of course. As they neared the ports, the fire came into view - it engulfed the entirety of the ship and everything inside, causing the wooden planks to fall and the flag to become worn and torn. Not too far away from the ship stood Gilbert, staring at the wreckage with mixed emotions flitting across his face.

Lovino stopped, eyes wide as the ship he had spent most of his short life on fell to pieces in front of him. Antonio turned to his friend. "Was anybody still on board?"

Francis shook his head. "A register was taken as people left the ship - everybody left and nobody returned, plus even when the man with the register left for the town, he left the register sheet by the ship. Everybody knew we had to sign in before going back on."

Antonio nodded. "Good, at least everybody's safe." He then turned to face Gilbert, who's face was now turned towards them. He looked slightly afraid. Frowning, Antonio walked over to the albino. "Gilbert?"

"It was someone from my ship." Gilbert said quietly. "I heard them talking about it last night, but I didn't know what ship they meant, or much else, really. I wasn't part of this, I swear!" His voice rose and the pace of his speech hastened as he spoke.

"Gilbert, calm down! We didn't think it was you!" Antonio reassured him, slightly surprised by the outburst. "Someone from your ship, you said?"

Gilbert nodded. "_Ja_. You can probably still find them nearby, if you look. The ship is still in dock, and they couldn't have gotten away that quickly."

"_Gracias, mi amigo_. This is a big help!" Antonio then ran off to find the culprit, leaving a confused Francis to comfort Lovino while Arthur walked over to Gilbert. The latter, who had been caught in his thoughts, soon realised just who had approached him.

"_You_!" Gilbert exclaimed, malice growing in his eyes. "You did it, didn't you?!"

"What?!" Arthur was confused. "Did what? Burn the ship? Are you bloody mad?!"

"_Nein_! I meant, did you cast that spell on my little brother?!"

"Cast a spell...what? Why would I do that?"

"What?"

"I don't even know who your little brother is..."

"Oh...so..."

"What made you think it was me anyway?"

"Er..."

Francis and Lovino walked over, saving Gilbert the trouble of replying. "We're going back to the hotel. Tell us if you find anything, okay?"

Arthur nodded before the group turned their attention back to the ports, watching as the last remnants of the _Pomodoro_ sank below the water's surface, never to set sail again.

X-x-X

When Ludwig woke up, he found himself back in his room on the ship. He sat up in the small bed, which creaked slightly as he did so. He attempted to remember what had happened, but found that he couldn't. _What happened? Why can't I remember?_

Pushing the covers away from him, he stood and glanced out of the window, his eyes widening as he saw the view; the room was obviously near to the ports, with a view of the ships in port. What he saw, however, was the fiery skeleton of a pirate ship he knew well...

The _Pomodoro_ was on fire.

Ludwig didn't know why this bothered him. They were their rivals, but something deep inside Ludwig told him that there was something, _someone_, who he should be worried about who was on that ship...

But he couldn't remember.

He couldn't remember a thing.

X-x-X

Feliciano sat alone in his room, gazing out of the window by his bed (the room had two windows, since it was in a corner of the building) at the distant smoke. He knew he should have been sad that his family's ship had just been burned to a crisp, but something told him that he was happy to see it gone. This way, he no longer had to be a pirate. He was free from the plundering and attacks from the _Schwarzwasser_...

He could be with Ludwig.

Of course, the last part was only true if Ludwig actually remembered him.

He sighed.

_Why is life so difficult?_

X-x-X

With Antonio still out trying to find the culprit, and Gilbert having sulked off somewhere, Francis and Lovino returned to the hotel whilst Arthur set off to find their remaining crew members to tell them the news. Francis then went off to talk to James about something, leaving Lovino with his younger brother.

"What happened out there?" Feli asked.

"Some bastard from the _Schwarzwasser _set fire to the _Pomodoro_." Lovino answered bitterly.

"Was everyone okay? And the ship, is it...?"

"Nobody was inside the ship, so the crew are all fine. The ship..."

Feli nodded, understanding the ship's fate. "I see...so...what do we do now?"

"I don't know." Lovino shrugged. "I think we're going to talk about it later."

"Oh, okay."

There was silence for a while before Feliciano asked, "Where's Toni?"

It was then that the door opened, revealing Antonio, who was dragging someone behind him. "I found him - I found the culprit!"

X-x-X

* * *

**Translations:**

_Pomodoro_ - Tomato (Italian)  
_Ja_ - Yes (German)  
_Gracias_ - Thank you (Spanish)  
_Mi amigo_ - My friend (Spanish)  
_Nein_ - No (German)  
_Schwarzwasser_ - Blackwater (German)

* * *

**Author's Notes**: Let's just leave it here, shall we?

Eh, my head is pounding and I've been doing homework for the past five hours so this might suck but ugh...

Sorry it's so short.

**Thank you to:** Chrysti Doofenschmirtz and WindChibi for following!

**Thank you to:** Caaryss, Chrysti Doofenschmirtz and Des3510 for favouriting!

**Responses to Reviews:**

**TheDeadOne28:** In other words, Lovi is an independent Italian who don't need no Toni? Hehe, thanks for the review!

**Dogsrule:** I know right? Terrible stuff D: Thanks for the review!

**charcoal246:** Thanks! Sorry, I'm in a romantic relationship with cliffhangers and it's complicated. I think cliffhangers do add on to the suspense of things but maybe enough is enough... Thanks again! Wow!

**Black Kaitou:** Very messy, yes. And _exactly_. Even after this is sorted, there's still the _what will happen when he goes back_? Thanks for the review!

**Epic F. Awesomesauce:** Oh no, don't worry! It's fine :3

**Five Until Class:** (Ch. 16) I know, right? Its not often that that happens. Hehe, I liked it though~ He didn't even mean to confess, he just did. And Lukas is a major jerk. As for his reasons..._ all in good time_, my dear~  
(Ch. 17) As I said before, romantic relationship with cliffhangers and all that jazz. That is definitely the major problem at the moment, since they don't have a ship anymore. As for Gil being the culprit, well I hadn't actually thought of that when I was writing this. I agree though, if he _were_ looking for revenge, he wouldn't stop at just one thing. Especially when it concerns his little Luddy. As for Toni's predicament, well..._soon_. Thanks so much for the reviews!

Thank you all once again! Now I'm gonna go sleep off this headache.

After I shower.

After I tumblr.

Also, as of this moment, I have 69 reviews.

Sorry.

See ya'll on Wednesday!

~Random ( = ¬ = )7


	19. Interrogation

**DISCLAIMER: Me no own. No. Nope. I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 19: Interrogation**

"I found him - I've found the culprit!"

"Really?" Lovino asked, standing from his seat. Feliciano sat forwards a bit more, so as to get a better view of the one who did all this.

"Yup! This is him!" Antonio somehow managed to drag the culprit's body around so he was sitting in front of the proud Spaniard. The man had blonde hair which was spiked upwards, and blue eyes that shone with confusion. His clothes were just basic pirating clothes with a long black jacket thrown on top. The man looked up at his captors with furrowed brows.

"What the hell are you going on about?" He asked. "Culprit? I haven't done anything!"

Lovino growled. "Don't lie, bastard. We've caught you know, so you might as well tell the truth."

"Well, maybe I helped plan it but I didn't actually _do_ it!"

"Hold him there Antonio." Lovino ordered, allowing Antonio to get a stronger grip on the man before sinking to eye-level with him. "Information, then. Who was involved in the planning?"

"Like hell will I tell you!" The man spat.

Lovino slapped him. "How about now?"

"God, even Ice can slap harder than that, and he's not one for violence!"

Another slap.

"You know, slapping me won't make me talk."

"Will punching you in the balls make you talk?" The Italian threatened darkly.

The man froze. "Uh...no. Don't do that, I still won't talk."

Lovino sighed and stood up. He turned to Antonio. "Where did you find him?"

There was a faint sound of footsteps coming from outside the room, but this was disregarded. "Not too far away from the ports. He was running in the opposite direction, so-"

The door slammed open.

"Let go of the Dane, and nobody gets hurt."

Feliciano gasped; he had heard that voice before.

All heads turned towards the door, inside of which stood...

"Norge! Great, you came to get me away from these nutjobs."

Lukas ignored this and scowled at Antonio, who had still not let go of their captive. "Let him go."

"Why? We won't find out who did it if we do, will we?" Antonio replied, tightening his grip.

Feliciano, who was getting scared now, tugged on Lovino's arm, causing him to turn around. "That's the guy who knocked me out earlier!" He whispered.

Lovino was angry. Nodding once to show he'd heard his brother's words, he turned to face Lukas. "So it was you?"

The Norwegian turned to face him. "What?"

"You made my _fratellino_'s memories disappear, and probably the potato bastard's too."

A small, sly smile crawled to the guilty man's face. "Ah, so it didn't work quite as planned... What an interesting new development."

"You made him forget everything."

"I only meant to get rid of the Beilschmidt boy from his memory." Lukas shrugged. "Obviously more came out than what was needed."

"Why?"

More footsteps came from outside, but once again they went unnoticed.

"What, why did I make them forget? I don't think you should be complaining, boy. I _saved_ them. Relationships with men from the rival ship can be tricky business."

"Not exactly a 'rival ship' when you yourself don't have one anymore." Lovino replied bitterly.

Lukas smirked. "Fine, I'll admit it; I made your brother and his 'boyfriend' forget. I was also the one to actually set fire to your ship, though that was planned between a group of trusted crew members. I did it, but there's nothing you can do about it."

In burst two more men, specifically Gilbert and Francis, the former of whom had hell-bent rage written all over his blood-like eyes. The Prussian took Lukas from behind, holding a knife to his throat.

"So it was you..." he muttered. "All along..._you_ were the one to make _mein kleiner Bruder_ forget everything."

"Why?" Antonio asked. "Why did you feel the need to cause all of this trouble?"

Lukas laughed. "Ha! Why? I was _bored_! Months of being shut in on a ship with no action can be so _boring_, so naturally I felt the need to spice things up a little." He turned his head towards the Danish man on the ground, who had now resorted to staring blankly at a wall. "Matthias is innocent. He didn't actually do anything. Let him go, and I'll let you do what you want with me."

Matthias looked sharply up at him. "What? Lukas, no!"

"It can't be helped."

Antonio dragged Matthias up from the floor and to the door, where he shoved him out and closed the door in his face. He then returned to where he had stood previously.

Gilbert remained with the knife to Lukas' throat, nicking the skin ever so slightly to let a small droplet of blood trickle onto the steel of the knife. Francis stood by Feliciano's bed, a slightly disapproving look on his face. Lovino stood beside him, glaring at the Norwegian. Feliciano was sat up in his bed, glancing round the room quickly, confusion and fear in his eyes. He caught the eyes of Francis, who simply shook his head and looked away. Even if they wanted to stop the revenge-thirsty pirates, they could do nothing.

Antonio moved forward, standing so close to Lukas that they were almost nose-to-nose. He glared down at the shorter man. "Never come near us or Gilbert's family ever again. Never do anything like this to hurt people, because if you had a brother and one day he just forgot you, I'm sure it wouldn't be a good feeling."

Lukas' eyes widened as he imagined it, before he shook the image from his head.

Antonio continued. "If you promise this, then you may go."

"What?!" Gilbert cried out in horror. Lovino too seemed shocked at this, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. Feliciano and Francis merely smiled slightly, glad that there was a way around the violence.

Lukas too seemed surprised at this. "What? You would just let me go like that?"

"I don't want to sink to your level in an attempt to fix this situation." Antonio answered. "Gilbert, put the knife down."

Reluctantly, the Prussian pulled the knife away from Lukas' neck and moved away, a glare ever present in his eyes. Lukas massaged his throat, which hurt slightly after having the knife against it for so long.

"Go."

Following the order, Lukas gave a curt nod to the Captain before exiting the room, most likely pulling a certain Dane along with him.

Gilbert turned to Antonio. "Dude!"

"I know what he did, but I don't want to sink to his level." Antonio said shortly before taking a seat. Gilbert shook his head.

"I'm going back to Ludwig. Tell me if something interesting happens." With that, the Prussian left.

Francis spoke up next. "That was the right thing to do, _mon ami_. Don't let revenge take over your mind. Now, I'm going to make sure Gilbert doesn't do anything stupid." The Frenchman then followed Gilbert out.

The remaining trio sat in silence for a few moments before Lovino said. "You did okay."

Antonio grinned. "Thanks. Your interrogation skills are top-notch."

Lovino gave a half-smile before looking down at Feliciano. "You okay?"

Feliciano looked up and nodded. "I'm okay."

Lovino smiled before looking at Antonio. "There's no more ship."

"Hm?"

"No more excuses..."

"Oh..."

They both knew what the older Italian was talking about.

It was time to decide Antonio's fate.

X-x-X

* * *

**Translations:**

_Fratellino_ - little brother (Italian)  
_Mein kleiner Bruder_ - My little brother (German)

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Only one scene in one chapter! It's been a while since that happened last!

You know, if this story was exactly how I'd written it in the first place, this would have been the last chapter.

Luckily for you guys, it's not the last chapter (no duh).

**Thank you to:** bitterblueyes27 for following!

**Responses to Reviews:**

**Dogsrule:** Eh, close enough. It kinda lured him there, so he kinda did?

**charcoal246:** Aww, thank you! *squishes cheeks* You're too nice! Seriously though, I'm glad you're enjoying it :3

**Epic F. Awesomesauce:** Aha, that's the question, now isn't it?

**Five Until Class:** Hate me if you like, the cliffhangers won't let me file for a divorce. Hehe, good point. Exactly. I'm not sure if your confusion is a good thing or a bad thing? I suppose it shall all become clear soon... I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! Don't worry, the worst of the homework has passed (except for that maths thing, but I'll do that later). I'll be fine, plus the holidays are coming up soon, so more time to write! :D Thanks for the review!

Thanks again everyone! I never thought this story would get so far! Thank you all ;w;

By the way, I uploaded another thing if you want to take a look at it. It's called Ich Liebe, read if you want to!

Adios!

~Random ( = ¬ = )7


	20. Decisions

**Disclaimer: See last chapter's disclaimer.**

* * *

**Chapter 20: ****Decisions**

Several tables in the B&B's bar/restaurant had been pushed together to form a long table. Most of the chairs around the tables were occupied by the crew of the _Pomodoro_. The chatter was loud as they waited for the emergency meeting to begin. Lovino, Antonio and Feliciano descended from their room above, making their way into the bar, which quietened as the trio took their seats.

Arthur stood from his seat, glancing around the table of misfits. "I now call this emergency meeting to a beginning. Now, I suppose you have all heard about our ship's fate." The pirates nodded, sad looks crossing some of their faces. Arthur continued. "Well, we now have to figure out our next moves. I along with a few others have already thought of a few options, but your opinions are needed to make sure we make the right decision. Our options so far are to remain here for a while and earn enough money to buy a new ship, or to try and haggle with the money we have left. Does anyone have anything to say?"

Feliciano timidly raised his hand. "Do we have to get a new ship?" His crew-mates spun their heads to face him, confusion written across their faces. Attempting to ignore this, the younger Italian continued. "I mean, what if some of us have had enough of piracy?"

Marcello spoke up. "I agree! Some of us may not want to stay pirates."

A few others nodded in agreement, whilst others shook their heads. Arthur seemed to ponder this option for a moment before saying, "Well, I suppose that is true. Perhaps we should take a head count of those who do not want to remain pirates, so we can see if it's worth looking for another ship of our own. Please raise your hand if you do not wish to remain a pirate."

Almost a dozen hands were raised, including the three Vargases and Antonio. This gained some stunned looks, but these were ignored.

"Captain, even you?" Arthur asked.

"Well, it's not like I chose piracy in the first place." Antonio shrugged. "But seriously, Lovi isn't staying, so I'm not either. Plus, I have a kingdom to return to."

Arthur turned to Lovino. "And you? I wouldn't have expected this from the sons of the previous Captain..."

Lovino's face was serious. "Piracy has taken away two of my family members, and almost a third. I don't want _mia famiglia_ to be torn apart any more. Plus, our mother is back home, and we haven't seen her in so long."

Arthur nodded. He then went round each of the others who had held their hands up and asked for their reasons, which they gladly gave. In the end, there were only around ten people who wanted to remain pirates - nowhere near enough for a full crew. Arthur sighed. "It seems that we shall all have to find new ships. Well, it's been a pleasure sailing with you all." The Englishman stood.

"Where are you going?" Iain asked.

"I'm going to find myself a ship - I've always fancied being a Captain." With that, Arthur walked out, followed by his brothers and a few of his crew-mates, who bade their farewells before leaving.

Those left at the table merely ordered some food and retired to their rooms soon afterwards, worn out from the eventful day.

X-x-X

"Antonio."

The whispered word broke through the almost-silence in the dark hotel room. Antonio and Lovino had requested for an extra mattress to be brought to their room and were now lying side-by-side on it, listening quietly to the slow breathing of the sleeping Feliciano.

"Lovino?"

Antonio turned his head to face the Italian, though this didn't serve much purpose as he couldn't see much of him in the darkness of the room.

"You have to go home."

Antonio sighed at this. "I know I do."

A slight shuffling sound was heard as Lovino propped himself up on one elbow, looking down on the Spaniard as he spoke. "No, I don't think you understand what I mean."

"What do you mean?"

"You have to go home. I mean, _without_ me."

"...What?"

Lovino sighed, sitting up. Antonio followed suit, his eyes squinting slightly as he attempted to see through the dark.

"You have to go back to your kingdom, to your family. My brothers and I must return to our family as well. But you must go alone."

"But...what?" Antonio didn't understand.

"My brothers and I...when we get home, there will be a lot to sort out. It might take a few months..."

"You mean..."

"Antonio, we'll both have to go home. We'll be separated for a while, since there will be a lot to sort out, since you've been gone for - what, half a year? - and I've been gone for so much longer."

"But... I don't want to..."

"It's not as though we'll never see each other again. I will come back for you."

Antonio looked up at Lovino, eyes shining in the dim of the night. "Promise?"

Lovino took Antonio's face in his hands and brought Antonio's mouth up to his. Their second kiss was slow and steady, each touch filled with the feelings the two had furled up inside of them. When they parted, Lovino smiled slightly. "Of course I will. I promise."

X-x-X

The next morning was filled with emotions. Those who had wanted to return to mainland Europe had been able to get some last-minute reservations on a passenger ship heading there on this day. The group was now waiting at the docks, bidding their farewells to those who were staying behind. The Kirklands in particular were having a hard time - Peter and James had decided to return home whilst Arthur and Iain began to work towards beginning their own pirate crew.

Antonio, Francis and Gilbert were having an emotional separation. The three were caught in a group hug, tears welling in their eyes as they told each other to 'stay awesome' and to 'not get assassinated and thrown in a ditch'. Francis was returning to France to face his father, and Gilbert was going through some troubles which were yet to be sorted out on the _Schwarzwasser_. This would be the last the three saw of each other for a while.

Lovino was saying goodbye to some of his old crew-mates, and Marcello was taking a last chance to flirt with the nearby girls, telling them how much he'd 'miss seeing their beautiful faces' (despite the fact that he hadn't even known them for five minutes). Feliciano stood awkwardly to the side of his brothers, eyes trained on the blond standing just as awkwardly beside his brother. Ludwig was staring out at the waters, blue eyes zoned out over the horizon. Feliciano couldn't help but notice how he had his lips slightly parted as he watched the current flow, or the birds fly, or whatever he may have been watching. _I wonder if he remembers..._ Feliciano thought.

The loud horn of the ship sounded, signalling the opening of the boarding of the passengers. Saying goodbye for the last time, the people began to move towards the ship. Feliciano was forced to tear his eyes away from Ludwig as his older brother tugged him and Marcello to the ship, with Antonio and Francis hurrying to catch up with them. When they had finally all boarded, the passengers stood as close to the railing as possible to wave to the people on the ports. Feliciano looked down once more at Ludwig and noticed that the German's eyes were on him. He noticed a shine of what looked like recognition across his face.

The ship began to move. Ludwig tried to run forward, but was held back by his brother. He opened his mouth to yell something, but it was drowned out by the unfortunate timing of the ship's horn. Feliciano furrowed his brows as he tried to lip-read what Ludwig had said, though it came to no avail. The ship moved away quickly, pulling Feliciano further away from the man who had possibly just remembered.

X-x-X

* * *

**Translations:**

_Pomodoro_ - Tomato (Italian)  
_Mia famiglia_ - My family (Italian)  
_Schwarzwasser_ - Blackwater (German)

* * *

**Author's Notes:** First of all, I am sorry about last chapter.

Second, I am sorry about this chapter.

I've had a rough day.

**Responses to Reviews:**

**Dogsrule:** Hehe, I felt evil~

**Mighty Agamemnon:** I am really sorry for disappointing you. To be honest, I did have second thoughts about the chapter after I received this review. I did wonder,_ should I rewrite it?_ But if I did, it still wouldn't be any better. Therefore, I shall just have to be eternally sorry and hope you can somehow forgive me. Thank you for this though. It's constructive criticism, and for that I am greatful.

**LunaShadowWolf13:** Oh. My. Word. HOW...?! I can't even read this in a one-er, and I'm the author! Wow, thank you! Oh my gosh, wow. Thank you so much! I'm very glad you enjoyed it ;w;

**anonymous1:** (Ch. 14) Correct! Well, to an extent. You'll know by now that it was actually Norway... Five brownie points for you.  
(Ch. 15) Yes!  
(Ch. 16) Yeah, Norway's a jerk.  
(Ch. 18) Yep, it's pretty good~  
Thank you for all of these!

Thank you all for the reviews, and for staying with me, even through the last (crappy) chapter.

I hope this one was (at least marginally) better.

See you on Wednesday.

~Random ( = ¬ = )7


	21. Almost Six Months Later

**Disclaimer: See last chapter's disclaimer.**

* * *

**Chapter 21: Almost Six Months Later**

The ship had stopped off at several ports on the coasts of the Mediterranean, dropping the Vargas brothers off at the coast near Rome, and finally leaving Antonio at a port town near Madrid. It hadn't taken too long for him to return to his capital, though his reappearance had caused a shock to the guards and his parents. Most people had started to think that he had died while he was away, so were overjoyed to see him back.

His parents, though happy and elated at first, soon went back to normal. They scolded him on not getting home sooner ("But _Mama_! I was kidnapped, I couldn't go back when I wanted to!"), and gave him a lecture on what must not be found out by the people of the kingdom; for instance, the detail of his contributions to the pirate trade would stay a secret kept between those who had been on the ship, Antonio, and his parents. If the public found out about his time as a Captain, they would begin to distrust him and possibly revolt upon his coronation as King.

There was one thing that Antonio couldn't even tell his parents about, though; his relationship with Lovino Vargas. Whilst on the seas, there was no harm in loving another of the same gender, it was seen as a sin on land, especially so in Catholic countries such as Spain. Antonio didn't quite want to be disowned, or worse, by his parents - nor did he particularly want to cause trouble as King. Therefore, the things that he wanted to sing to the world about (his love for Lovino, his experiences on the _Pomodoro_, etc.) would have to be kept in the confines of his memory.

After five months, it was winter. Everything had gone back to normal, and the kingdom was settling down from the Christmas celebrations. Mandatory rules were placed over Antonio's free will, disallowing him from roaming outside of the castle walls (or anywhere near the servant's entrance, for that matter) and sentencing him to tough preparation for his coronation, which was due to happen anytime between his upcoming birthday and his birthday the next year.

To put it simply, Antonio was bored.

He'd often look out over the city from his bedroom window, listening to the faraway bustle of the markets, watching the birds fly over the buildings. He wished he could be down there, re-exploring his city, observing his people. He didn't want to be cooped up in this castle any longer.

He could only hope he'd be allowed more freedom soon...

X-x-X

One day, Antonio's mother decided to announce that her son would be having a birthday party soon.

Since it was just under a month until his birthday, Antonio couldn't blame his mother for planning the party so soon. Usually, royal parties were large events, in need of an equally large amount of planning.

"I'll invite all of the royal families of our allied nations." The Queen decided as a scrawny scribe jotted down her requests. "France, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands..." she listed them all, adding in a few who couldn't strictly be counted as allies, but were still in good terms with the Kingdom of Spain.

Antonio tuned out of the plans, returning to his thoughts. He didn't want a party, he never did, but he always got one - every year, his birthday would be celebrated with the same guests, every year. Occasionally a country's royals would not attend due to prior engagements, but other than that, the guest list never fluctuated. Antonio could only hope this year's party wouldn't be quite so boring as the last had been...

From about seven years ago, Antonio had always been bored at his parties. There was never anyone his own age to talk to - well, anyone who wasn't ridiculously uptight or snot-nosed, in the prince's opinion. In the parties before this time period, there had been a couple of princes and princesses his age who would hang out with him, but over the years, they'd stopped appearing at the parties. _Probably allowed to stay home_, Antonio had thought.

That was the problem - you could hardly just leave your own party.

X-x-X

Which is why he was in this position.

Antonio stood awkwardly by the drinks' table, giving smiles to those who passed and sometimes greeting various noblemen and women. Outside, he may have seemed cheerful enough, but inside, he was dying slightly of boredom.

The room was packed full of at least two hundred people, all either dancing merrily along to the musical accompaniment (provided by Roderich Edelstein, successful pianist and friend of the family) or mulling around the edges, mingling and chortling as the wine in their glasses swayed with the movement. The men, including Antonio, were all donned in dapper suits and bow-ties, whilst the women had slightly more freedom of choice as they wore elegant gowns of every colour, decorated with lace and sequins and most likely with a corset hidden underneath.

Plenty of times Antonio had been wished a happy birthday, which he had accepted politely. He had also been forced to partake in uncomfortable conversations with complete strangers who claimed they "remembered when you were this height!", complete with hand actions gesturing to something around the size of a small dog. During these times, the prince would nod and smile, occasionally inputting words and opinions, but mostly letting the rather narcissistic nobles entertain themselves with the sounds of their own voices.

For the moment, Antonio was glad that nobody had forced him into another conversation. He rather despised events like this. He didn't want to act like he cared about some random Duchess' problems with her personal chef. He didn't want to have to smile and nod empathetically at this, as if he actually felt pity for her. What he wanted was to talk naturally to someone about whatever came to mind, with no need to act in any way, shape or form.

He sipped quietly on his red wine, observing the people around him. A slower, more romantic song was now being played, so more couples were moving to the floor to shuffle around together, content in each other's arms. It saddened Antonio slightly that he'd never be able to dance like this with Lovino, or at least at any parties he wouldn't. Well, it didn't help that he hadn't seen his lover in almost six months either, he supposed.

Just then, he felt warm breath against his ear as a strikingly familiar voice whispered, "Bastard, aren't you supposed to dance at parties?"

Grinning, Antonio turned around, his eyes shining with happiness. "Took you long enough to get here."

Lovino smirked. "Took you long enough to notice."

X-x-X

* * *

**Translations:**

_Mama_ - Mum (Spanish)  
_Pomodoro_ - Tomato (Italian)

* * *

**Author's Notes:** The story's beginning to wind down now...

There isn't too much left until the end, so I have a question!

Do you guys want a sequel to this? It wouldn't be about pirates as much because they're not pirates any more, but still... I could try to write one? Like, I have a few ideas for one? I'll put a poll on my page, so please answer either in a review or on the poll (or both if you really want). I'll understand if you don't want to be subjected to any more of this. That's okay with me, I don't particularly blame you.

**Thank you to:** Miku Hewojima, LuddyFeli98, AnimeLover2013-17 and Tigerlover25 for following!

**Thank you to:** Miku Hewojima, LuddyFeli98 and AnimeLover2013-17 for favouriting!

**Responses to Reviews:**

**Dogsrule:** Sorry! But look, he's back now! :D

**charcoal246:** Don't worry, I wouldn't make a sad ending, I'm not that cruel.

**A Person****:** (Ch. 18) Yup, it was kinda sad to make it go. Hehe, Lukas is cruel~ (Ch. 19) Haha xD Of course he doesn't want to go, but he had to. Hehe, maybe you're right, you'll have to wait and see! ;3

**Mighty Agamemnon:** Oh, that's good. Yeah, that's true. I suppose we're all like that sometimes when we read stuff. Yeah, as I said it is beginning to wind down now.

**LuddyFeli98:** Yup :( Don't worry though, perhaps they'll find each other again?

Thank you all again! As said previously, the end is gonna be soon. I'd appreciate your opinions on the sequel thing! (Put it this way - no sequel = I can move on and do something else. Sequel = I write more because I still like this story and maybe you guys want more idk.)

I'll go now, I still have some maths homework left -_-

Hasta luego!

~Random ( = ¬ = )7


	22. A Whole New Adventure

**Disclaimer: Well, if I haven't owned it for the last 21 chapters, I doubt I'm going to own it any time soon.**

* * *

**Chapter 22: A Whole New Adventure**

Antonio and Lovino were able to sneak away, camouflaged by the crowd of nobles at the party. They then rushed through the deserted halls of the palace until they came to a small garden nearby. The moon shone peacefully upon the garden, casting shadows over the topiaries which stood proudly in their places, not a single leaf out of place. Water trickled quietly from the fountain, the statue of which depicted a tall woman tipping a never-ending vase on its end, letting the water fall out into the bowl of the fountain. The pair stepped through the gardens, soon finding themselves in front of the fountain. In the distance, the music from the party was barely in earshot.

Antonio held out a hand to Lovino. "Care to dance?"

Lovino smirked and took the hand. "Only if I'm leading, bastard."

One left hand clasped with the other's right, the ex-pirates took position and began to dance slowly. It was a very basic dance, with only basic box steps and small twirls every so often. Antonio began to hum along to the song.

"Mmn,_ te quiero mucho_~"

Lovino smiled softly, eyes closing and head resting on the Spaniard's shoulder. He would never admit it, but he had missed the loveable dork during their time apart. They continued to dance together, as if there was no world around them to care about. All that existed was the two of them, as a whole. Soon, however, the song drew to a close, and the final steps of the dance were taken.

Lovino raised his head once more, eyes meeting with the warmth of the Spaniard's eyes.

"I missed you so much, _amor_." Antonio whispered.

"I missed you too, _caro_."

The two let their heads gravitate towards each other, eyes closing slowly as the space between their lips grew shorter until-

A rustle of leaves followed by a crash caught their attention, pulling them apart and forcing them to turn to the hedges nearby. Caught in the lower branches, cursing in rapid German, was a familiar albino. "_Verdammt!_ Lost my balance..."

Then an auburn head popped out of the bushes, followed by two blonds and a brunette. "Wow Gil, you really need to work on your spying skills~"

Antonio and Lovino simply stood in their places, eyes wide and mouths agog as the five people climbed out of the bushes, pulling random leaves and twigs from themselves and brushing off any stray dirt.

"Ugh, and it was almost the best part..." the blond man with longer hair grumbled, straightening himself up. "Oh well. _Bonjour, mes amis!_"

"Francis? Gilbert?"

"_Ja, guten Tag._"

"Oh god, they brought the potato bastard along too."

Ludwig frowned slightly at this. Then the auburn Italian caught his arm, waving to the couple. "_Ciao_! It's been a while!" Feliciano grinned.

The brunette woman strode over to Antonio and Lovino, flinging her hand out to the former. "_Szia_! I'm Elizabeta Hedervary, good to meet you!"

"Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, and it's nice to meet you too!"

They shook hands as the others approached. Gilbert wrapped an arm around Elizabeta's waist as she pulled her hand away. "I see you've met my awesome girlfriend!"

"I'm still surprised you even got a girlfriend. God knows what she sees in you." Lovino said, quirking an eyebrow up.

Antonio, however, seemed thrilled for his friend. "Congratulations, Gil! Now you're not alone any more!"

Francis, Elizabeta and Feliciano all chuckled as Gilbert grimaced slightly. "Being alone was awesome, but being alone _with_ someone is just as awesome, okay?"

Antonio smiled before turning to Feliciano and Ludwig. "So, what have we got here?"

Feliciano smiled. "It's a kinda long story."

"I'm willing to listen."

The sound of footsteps echoed nearby, freezing the group. "Quick, hide!" Lovino hissed. The group, except for Antonio, all dived into the hedge, leaving the Spaniard to stand awkwardly as his mother entered the garden.

"_Hijo_, what are you doing out here? You're missing your own party!"

Antonio smiled apologetically. "_Lo siento, Mama_. I'm just coming back in now."

He gave one last glance back at the hedge before following his mother back inside.

X-x-X

The rest of the night passed with no further meetings with his friends. At two in the morning, the party had finally ended. Many nobles left to return to their hotels or homes if they were local, but many found themselves sleeping in the palace's guest rooms. Antonio headed to his room with a slight feeling of disappointment in his stomach. He had expected his friends to show up at some other point during the night, but even when he was finally able to sneak back off to the garden again, he found no one. Sighing, the prince, pushed down the gold handle of his door and stepped inside his room, not looking up as he turned to face the door as he closed it, sealing himself back in his room.

_Well, at least you got to see them for a little while_, he reasoned with himself. _You couldn't really expect them to be able to try to find you in that crowd - what if they were caught trespassing?_

He turned around, finally lifting his head to glance around his room. The walls should have been dark and shadowy, what with there being no light source except for the moon, but somehow there was a warm glow across them, emulating from a few candles placed on various dressers and tables. The doors to the balcony were open, allowing a slight chill to penetrate the room. The prince walked over to the balcony and found himself face to face with none other than-

"Lovino?"

The Italian grinned, slipping down from his perch on the balcony railing. "Wow, that must have been a hell of a long party; my ass is killing me from all the sitting I've done up here."

Antonio smiled. "You waited for me."

A slight blush dawned on Lovino's cheeks as his mouth pulled into a frown. "Well, I couldn't exactly just leave! That would have been rude."

"Thank you."

Lovino let his eyes meet Antonio's again, and allowed a small smile to replace the frown. "No, thank you."

"For what?"

"For letting me crash here for a while."

Well that certainly confused the Spaniard.

"...what."

My, this was going to be a _whole_ new adventure.

**_~Fin~_**

* * *

**Translations:**

_Te quiero mucho_ - I love you a lot (Spanish)  
_Amor_ - Love (Spanish)  
_Caro_ - Dear (Italian/Spanish)  
_Verdammt_ - Dammit (German)  
_Bonjour, mes amis_ - Hello, my friends (French)  
_Ja, guten Tag_ - Yes, hello (German)  
_Ciao_ - Hi (Italian)  
_Szia_ - Hi (Hungarian)  
_Hijo_ - Son (Spanish)  
_Lo siento, Mama_ - I'm sorry, mum (Spanish)

* * *

**Author's** **Notes:** Well, that's over and done with.

This was almost late up, sorry.

I'm sorry for the bad ending! But, it is just the beginning!

You can probably tell, but yeah, you're getting a sequel whether you like it or not.

More information after...

**Thank you to:** garustraidor, Soulmateofrage, kyouno-aru, HetaliafangirlMW19, Total awesomeness 13, Flamicia the archer and DeathBeforeLife for following!

**Thank you to:** garustraidor, Soulmateofrage, kyouno-aru, HetaliafangirlMW19, Flamicia the archer, GlowHeart1502-Pottermore, DeathBeforeLife and CinoChan for favouriting!

**Responses to Reviews:**

**Dogsrule:** Yup! And they danced, too ;D

**Charcoal246:** Yeah, it really is. And a sequel, I suppose, is inevitable. More info below!

**kyouno-aru:** Yush, he has! Sequel info below :3

**anonymous1:** I agree, actually. Which is probably why this is getting a sequel x3

**Epic F. Awesomesauce:** xD

**A Person:** (Ch. 20) Thank you for pointing that out! It should be fixed now :3 (Ch. 21) Hehehehehe... These are things that will probably be revealed in the sequel! Haha xD

Thank you all again for the reviews!

Okay, so three reviewers requested a sequel, and I now have ideas for a sequel, so there shall be a sequel! I have a plot in mind, I just need to plan and write a first draft of it. Please look out, I'll post another chapter of this when I upload the sequel, to notify you guys.

It should be up in late July/early August (most likely the latter). I'll have more time to write soon though, since school lets out in two weeks, so then there'll be six weeks in which I can write to my heart's content~

So yeah, thank you all for sticking with me throughout this story! It's been a pleasure writing this for you guys :3 I'll see you sooner or later with the sequel, but for now, _arrivederci__!_

~RandomWriter57 ( = ¬ = )7 *signing out for this fic*


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